Alexandria Academy
by delusionment
Summary: Rewritten completely! Life can get pretty interesting when you’re a student at the Academy. Airship races, fights, stolen songs, and falling in love is only the half of it. The numerous pairings up until X-2.
1. Welcome!

(-- --)

AN: I first wrote this story on November 12, 2004. Five years later, I'm ready to continue it, but with major tweaks and rewrites. I've grown as a writer and some of the stuff written in the original make me cringe. This will be majorly improved on. So please read on and enjoy. My notes will be at the end of the chapter like always.

Alexandria Academy

Chapter 1

Welcome!

"We're ready, ma'am," said Cid Highwind. He tapped the recorder in his hand.

Principal Beatrix faced away from her school towards the man. She brushed her hair out of her face and nodded. Cid hit the record button and gave her a thumb up.

"Hello, and welcome to Alexandria Academy!" she said. She smiled softly. "I am Principal Beatrix and I will explain everything on campus. Here at the Academy, students from different countries join together to learn various subjects before going out into the world to create a new future. Please, come along with me and see why Alexandria Academy is the school for you."

Cid followed after his boss with the recorder in tow. Through the front gates was a spacious courtyard with lush green grass meeting against the stone path. Tall trees formed a circle. In the center of the path and the trees was a large fountain with two back to back statues rising above the water. The one facing the gates was Cosmos, the Goddess of Harmony. The one facing the north entrance was Chaos, the God of Destruction.

"The Academy is a twelve-year institution divided into three factions." Beatrix pointed to the entrance to her right. "The west gate leads the middle schoolers' faction. These are ones in first to fifth grade." She then pointed to the entrance to her left. "The east gate leads to the junior high. These are ones in sixth to eighth grade. And behind me past the statues is the north entrance for high schoolers."

Beatrix proceeded through the north gate and stood in front of a small building that was between the courtyard and the high school section.

"Each faction is complete with its own set of dorms, commons, and classrooms. The dorms have a recreation center, computer lab, and a master library that students may use. East and west of this building are living quarters for the teachers. These buildings are forbidden to all students. But this building behind me is Student Services. Here, we will answer any question and handle other problems that may arise."

She and Cid entered inside. There was a large desk near the entrance. It was very organized despite the stack of folders and papers piled up. File cabinets stood behind the desk. Behind the desk was a girl no older than eighteen wearing a pink suit. Her hair was blond and her eyes were a shade of brown hidden behind a pair of glasses.

"This here is Quistis Trepe. She handles all paperwork, appointments, and questions you may have. Quistis, say hello."

Quistis smiled. "Hello all." She went back to filing the cabinets behind her.

"To the right here," gestured Beatrix, "is where various offices are. If you ever get in trouble you will be sent to Dean Kefka Palazzo or Dean Sephiroth. This also leads to my office and Vice Principal Ed--"

A tall man emerged from the hallway. He spotted the camera and grinned. He put an arm around Beatrix and joyfully said, "Hey everyone! I'm the Academy's Vice Principal. The name's Edgar Roni Figaro! If you've decided to take the martial arts class, you'll be getting my brother Sabin as your teac--"

Beatrix brushed Edgar's hand from her shoulder and pushed him away back into the hallway. "That's enough out of you! Go back to work!"

Quistis smirked at the camera and shrugged. "Vice Principal Edgar tends to get like that. Don't worry. He's a pretty good guy overall."

Beatrix came back and sighed. She smoothed out the imaginary creases on her dress and said, "So let's continue shall we?"

She and Cid left Student Services and entered the north dormitory.

"Each dormitory is just about the same. There are ten floors. Most students room with another. If you pay a little extra, your student may have a private dorm, which are found on the ninth and tenth floor."

There was a little commotion as several students were climbing down the stairs. These were the students that had moved back into the dorm after their summer break. Beatrix looked over. She snapped her fingers at one of the students.

"Kinneas! Irvine! Come here!" She called.

The tall, dark haired boy wearing a cowboy hat approached the camera. His arm was wrapped around his girlfriend's shoulders. She was about a head shorter than him. Her dark brown hair flipped out to the side. She grinned as she eyed the camera with her green eyes.

"What's up, Miss Principal?" asked Irvine. He nodded towards the camera. "What's this all about?"

"Promotional video for the school. So, Irvine, what is your favorite part about living in the dorms?"

"It's fun with all the people you have on your floor. You get to see them even if you don't have a class with each other."

"What about you, Selphie? What do you like most about living in the dorms?"

"Best part is seeing your friends everyday! A lot happens in the dorms with all the kinds of people that live in the same building," the girl said. "Well, you'd just have to come down here and try it out for yourself."

"And are you happy with the food provided?"

"Oh yeah!" said Irvine. "Quina's food is awesome! Or as s/he says, 'yummy.'"

Selphie laughed. "What he said."

"Okay, thank you both."

Selphie waved at the camera with a huge grin on her face. Irvine winked and pointed his forefinger at the camera like a pistol. "Catch ya later!" drawled Irvine. The couple left.

"All middle school and junior high students must be back in the dorms by eight on weekdays and nine on weekends. High school students must be back in the dorms by ten on weekdays and by one on weekends. They will not be allowed to leave the dorm if it is after curfew. If a student is caught outside after hours they will have to face the wrath of the Deans."

She shuddered, but went to continue on with the visual tour. Cid took shots of the campus with the recorder.

"And this is Alexandria Academy! We hope that you will consider us for your child's education."

Cid pressed the stop button and ended the recording. "That's it."

Beatrix's smile faded and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god," said mumbled. She pinched her sore cheeks. "Thanks, Cid. You can go edit the footage now before getting it back to me."

"All right, Boss."

"Here comes another school year…"

* * *

TIME. FOR. NOTES. I had discontinued my original Alexandria Academy story because of lack of interest. But now I'm suddenly really interested to pick it back up again. The story will contain characters from the IV and VI-X-2. I was originally going to have characters from ALL of the games up until X-2, but then I've never played III and V. I also didn't get very far with I and II. And it's been a while since I've played a lot of the games. I almost feel guilty with going along with the story even though I'm not so familiar with the worlds anymore. I'm also kind of scared of messing up people's personalities and such. But no matter. I'll get in tune with it soon.

The statues at the front of the school is a reference to Dissidia: Final Fantasy. I really want to play it, but I don't have a PSP.

Ooh, one things I'm worried about (but still excited) is that there are A LOT of characters, but it isn't so surprising when you are dealing with so many characters from a lot of games. Right now I'm about at 41 Students and 24 Administration/Teachers. But for many of the students, I might just mention them and they'll appear every once in a while. For the record, many of the students are at about 17 so they are juniors. Few others are younger and older.

Well, I think that's it. See you for the next chapter!

(By the way, Kefka and Sephiroth as Deans? I'd be hella scared to be going to this school now...)


	2. Orientation

(-- --)

Chapter 2

Orientation

Rinoa sighed as she looked up at the Academy. Her stomach flipped inside. How did Selphie ever manage to convince her father to let her go here? She shook her head. No matter. If Selphie didn't, she would have been stuck in Deling City, maybe for the rest of her life.

She took a step forward. So many of her old friends attended here. She had only kept in contact with Selphie. What if they didn't remember her? It had been thirteen years since she last saw them. Well, a week for her and Selphie.

"Oh my god, I'm so happy you made it!!" yelled Selphie. In her excitement, she nearly tackled Rinoa to the ground for a hug.

"Jeez, Selphie, give her some room," said Irvine. "Remember me, Rinoa?"

"Irvine!" Being released by her best friend, she hugged the cowboy. "How are you?"

"Good, good." He pulled Selphie towards him. "We're going on two years."

"I heard!"

"It was amazing that we even got to one year," joked Selphie.

"Then what do you call two years?"

"Um…a word that has a greater meaning that 'amazing.'" The couple laughed giving each other a small kiss. Rinoa politely averted her eyes, suddenly taking an interest in the stone walls. Selphie pushed her boyfriend and said, "Okay, that's enough. We're embarrassing Rinoa."

"Mm…just a little more?" he mumbled. Selphie pushed him away.

"Stop it!" She grabbed Rinoa and added, "C'mon! Let's go! You have to get your stuff from Student Services."

"So who else from the orphanage is here?"

"Well…Seifer and Zell are. Then there's me and Selphie, of course." Irvine's eyes flashed briefly towards his girlfriend and then at Rinoa. "And Squall."

Rinoa looked up at Irvine and smiled. "Squall's here?"

"Um, he's quite different from the way he used to be in the orphanage. Especially after…" Selphie's eyes flashed at Irvine and then at the ground.

"Especially after, what?"

"Never mind. You'll see when you see him."

Thirteen years ago. Rinoa's mother Julia Heartilly once had business with Cid and Edea Kramer. Her husband was out of town at the time and so she took her four year old daughter with her to the isolated orphanage. While talking with the owners, Rinoa became acquainted with seven kids, most of them her age. They all became very close. So close that Julia took her daughter to the orphanage several more times until her death. Time moved on and the only one Rinoa had any contact with was Selphie. From what Selphie told her, many of them were given to foster families before they all enrolled at the Academy.

They approached the Student Services building where many students and their families were entering and leaving.

"Oh, yeah, there was one other person we forgot…" replied Irvine. He held the door open for the two girls before going inside. They waited for the line to clear before advancing to the desk. "Quistis! Look who it is!"

"Oh my god, Rinoa!" she cried. She moved around her desk to hug the girl.

"Quistis! Wow. You look so professional…you work here now?"

"Yeah. I came here when I was ten, but now I'm the secretary for the administration and I run Student Services."

Selphie snickered and said, "Miss Trepe is such a genius that she graduated when was fifteen."

"And she wanted to be a teacher here, but Miss Principal refused and gave her a desk job. Three years later, and here she is," added Irvine.

Quistis opened up one of the cabinet drawers and began searching through the files. "Shut up both of you. I know I have a desk job. I know I didn't bust my ass in school to be filing papers, answering phones, and dealing with clueless kids."

"Hey!"

"Sorry." Finding the file she wanted, she handed it to Rinoa. "Inside is your class schedule and the rulebook. A map is also inside. Your uniform is already in your drawers. You have the summer set, winter set, and fall and spring set. Make sure you keep them clean and wear them neatly. The Deans hate seeing sloppy uniforms. Laundry days are on Sundays. If you have any questions, I'd rather you ask one of these one of these two for the answer instead of me. Now get out of here. I have more files to fish out and more kids to deal with."

Leaving the Student Services building Rinoa looked back at Quistis who was now answering the phone and scribbling something down in a notebook.

"Sure, she complains about her job, but I think she rather enjoys it," she said.

"That's what we think, too," said Selphie. "All right! We'll show you to the dorm!"

(-- --)

"Should I slice my wrists now?"

"Dude, calm down, ya? The Academy isn't as bad as you think."

"Probably. But I still have this image that cause my dad dumped me here this place is going to be a living hell."

"Man, I've been going here since freshman year. _It's nothing._"

"Huh? Wakka?" A girl who had been running by with a tool box in her hand suddenly stopped to approach the pair. "Here to move back in to the dorm?"

"Yep. Time for another year!"

The girl was short and petite. She was definitely an Al Bhed judging from her bright blonde hair and emerald colored eyes. She smiled as she looked over the boy next to Wakka. "And who're you?"

"This is my friend Tidus. He's transferring in," explained Wakka.

"Ooooh, you're Sir Jecht's kid, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"I heard about what you did to your dad's airship."

Tidus groaned. "It was an accident!"

"What you did to that airship didn't sound like much of an accident."

"Hey, Rikku, have you seen my girlfriend yet?" cut in Wakka.

"Lulu? Nah. She and Yunie will be here later today though."

"Rikku!! Give me back my tool box!" yelled a guy. He had spiky blonde hair and only one green eye. The other was hidden behind an eye patch.

Rikku cursed under her breath and gave a quick salute to Tidus and Wakka. "Catch ya guys later!" She grinned excitedly as she ran off with the tool box still in her hand. The guy chased after her. Though he was catching up to her, a large distance still remained.

"You have your own tools, Cid's girl! Use them!"

"I left mine at Home! Tough luck! I'm gonna borrow yours!"

"Bitch! I'll make you regret those words!"

Tidus stared after them with a blank look on his face. "Jesus, who were they?"

"Well, the girl was Rikku. She is the…cousin of my girlfriend's friend," said Wakka. "She's fifteen and a sophomore. Al Bhed. Very optimistic and hyper. A little childish. Also a thief. And that guy was Gippal. He's sixteen and a junior. He's a cocky bastard and a playboy."

"…I bet they're going out."

Wakka laughed and said, "Ya, you'd think so. Not yet at least, but everyone knows that they have a sexual tension so hot you could cut the air with a butter knife."

"No kidding."

(-- --)

Cloud hoisted his feet onto the table as he quietly ate his sandwich. He liked sitting in the corner of the dining commons. He got a good look of the place and the other students.

"Jesus, are you still moping?" asked a voice.

Cloud looked up to see Tifa, his best friend since childhood. Her long dark brown pooled down her back and her bangs falling into her hazel eyes.

"I'm not moping. I'm eating."

"Yeah, sure, uh-huh." She pulled up a chair and sat on it backwards. "Still upset?"

"No."

"Liar."

"It's true. I'm not upse--"

His eyes narrowed as a guy with black spiky hair and black eyes and a girl with long brown hair and green eyes walked by, hand in hand. They looked at Cloud as they passed his table. He could see the guilt in their eyes. When they left, Cloud couldn't help but let out a stream of curses.

"See? I was right. You're still upset."

He glared at Tifa. "You're not helping."

"Sorry."

He groaned. "Two years. Two _years._" He looked up at Tifa who didn't respond. "_Two years_ I was with Aeris, and what do I get?" His became high-pitched as he said, "Oh, I've been sneaking around with your best friend for a really long time. And we can't do it anymore so I'm leaving you for him."

Tifa blinked a few times, an amused smile playing at her lips. "You know that really doesn't sound like Aeris." He glared at her again. "Sorry, I'll stop."

Cloud sat back and took a big bite of his sandwich. "Yoo know wha the wortht thing ith?"

"You're speaking with your mouth full?" asked Squall as he approached the table. He pulled up a seat next to Tifa. "Don't do it. It's disgusting." Tifa chuckled as Cloud ignored the interruption.

He swallowed the food in his mouth and finished with, "It was my girlfriend _and_ my best friend!"

"Ex-girlfriend," said Tifa.

"And ex-best friend," added Squall.

"_Two years_!"

"We know!" they yelled in unison.

"Cloud, you have to get over this," said Tifa.

"How?"

"I dunno…go hook up with a really hot chick. Hey, I saw a new girl in Student Services with Irvine and Selphie. Her name was Rin…Rin-something."

"Rinoa?" asked Squall.

"Yeah! That's her name."

"Should I be wary?" asked Cloud. Squall's face hardened as he nodded. "All right, then I won't touch her."

"You better not."

"Oooh, a little testy today, Leonhart?" asked Tifa. "What is she? An old girlfriend or something?" She looked at Cloud and then at Squall. "Did she dump you for your best friend?"

"No," he said simply. "Just knew her from a long time ago."

Cloud spotted Aeris and Zack in an embrace across the room and groaned. "What am I gonna to do?"

"What you can do is take your feet off the table," drawled a voice. Cloud looked up to see Dean Sephiroth. "Unless if you're too heartbroken, I can chop off your legs for you." Cloud held up his hands and took his feet off the table. The dean continued on past the table and off to terrorize other unwitting students.

"Damn, he scares me," mumbled Squall.

Tifa checked her watch. "Oh crap. I'm late for my daily training. See you guys later!" She kicked her chair aside as she dashed out of the commons.

Squall watched her leave. His mouth slipped, "Maybe you should hook up with Tifa."

Cloud looked at Squall. He wasn't really sure what the glare in his eye meant.

"Or not…"

(-- --)

Garnet looked out of the window of her dorm. She really wanted to be outside. It was a nice day and everything. Of course… She eyed the wall that she shared with her bodyguard Steiner. Steiner would have to tag along if she wanted to go out. He was so…_annoying_. Sure, she was the princess of Alexandria. And sure, her mother was funding the Academy. And sure, people would want to take advantage of her and her position. But it didn't give Steiner the right to act like an _idiot_ over _everything_.

She looked at the door and then the wall. Maybe he wouldn't hear her if she left quietly. She took off her shoes. She tip toed to the door and opened it slowly. When it was open wide enough, she squeezed through and locked her door as slowly as possible. She tip toed as slow as possible down the steps, careful to miss the creaky bottom step.

Eighth Floor.

Almost there.

"Hi Garnet!" called Rydia.

"Shhhhh!!!"

"Okay, okay," she said softly. "No need to gesture so frantically. What's wrong?" Garnet pointed up at the ceiling. "Oh, gotcha. Well, I'm hiding from Edge, so let's go hide together!" The girls ran down the hallway on their toes. Somehow it seemed to lessen the noise on the carpet floor.

On the first floor, they found Selphie, her boyfriend, and a girl Rydia and Garnet assumed was a transfer student. Selphie looked up at them and said, "Rydia, if you're avoiding Edge, he just used the secret path in the basement."

Irvine cocked his head to the side slightly. "You're not thinking about doing those "drastic measures" are you?" he asked. "Why can't you just use the front door instead of summoning something and jumping from the second story?"

Garnet turned to Rydia. "I'm not going to do your drastic measures. I don't care if you can summon Chocobo so you can fly, but I can't summon anything to help me fly."

"What about Bahumut?"

"I can't control him yet. Professor Terra hasn't taught me."

"By the way," cut in Selphie, "Rinoa, this is Rydia and Garnet. Rydia and Garnet, this is Rinoa."

"Oh nice to meet you!"

"It's a pleasure!"

"Hi!"

"Rydia!" called Edge from the doorway of the basement.

"Garnet! Drastic measures!"

"I'm _not_ jumping out of the window!"

(-- --)

"We're all back together!" yelled Zell as he rode his skateboard down the hallway. "Whoo!"

"Idiot, no we're not," said Selphie. "Ellone isn't here! And stop riding your skateboard in the hall! You'll end up breaking your arm again if you fall down the stairs."

"We're all back together!" Zell repeated as he rounded the corner.

"I told you already! Ellone isn't here! We don't even know where she is!" Irvine started coughing violently motioning behind him. She saw Squall walking down the hallway, turning to the side to avoid Zell and his skateboard. "Oh…hi Squall."

"You don't have to hide her name. I'm not stupid," he snapped. He withdrew his key from his pocket and unlocked his door.

From inside her room, Rinoa could hear her friends out in the hall. But at the mention of his name, she opened the door and poked her head out. "Hi Squall!"

The brunette looked at her. "Rinoa, isn't it?"

"Yeah! You remember me!" She looked over his face carefully. His hair had grown out into a neat, yet somewhat bushy mess. He was much taller than her now. And there was a scar across his face from the top of his right eye and across the bridge of his nose.

"Wow, how did you get that scar?"

"A fight," he answered before heading into his room and shutting the door.

"It happened freshman year," said Zell as he passed by on his skateboard.

"What happened?"

There was a pair of footsteps climbing the steps. It was a girl with short light brown hair and one green and one blue eye. With her was a mature looking girl wearing a black dress.

"Are you guys telling the scar story?" one girl asked.

"Yuna, Lulu, this is Rinoa. Rinoa, this is Yuna and Lulu," introduced Selphie.

"Yeah, we are," said Irvine.

"So what happened?"

"No one knows the complete details about it," said Yuna. "All we know is that it happened in Professor Cecil's Sword Training class."

"Squall won't say anything about it, and Seifer gets pissy if you ask," said Irvine.

As Yuna and Lulu walked down the hall with their bags, Lulu said, "Anyone see Wakka yet?"

"Yeah! He was showin' some new kid around the school!" called Zell.

"Thanks. I guess I'll call him then. Come on, Yuna." Lulu and Yuna disappeared as they climbed the stairs to the next floor.

"Wow… I guess a lot has changed from that time at the orphanage," said Rinoa.

Irvine shrugged. "It probably started since you stopped coming to visit us and when Ellone left."

"Yeah," said Zell, "Ellone left and Matron started giving us away to foster families…"

"Reason why we're all together now is because of Squall anyway."

"What do you mean?" asked Rinoa.

Selphie looked Zell and Irvine. "I never told you this before, but we're all at the Academy because Matron told us something when we were about nine or ten."

"Like what?"

"Squall found his dad. He's a teacher here."

(-- --)

"Hey, Lu."

"Hey, where are you right now?"

Lulu dumped her bags on her side of the bed. Yuna did the same as she began unpacking her belongings and putting them back into their rightful place.

"I'm with Tidus. We're at the blitzball field right now."

"Tidus?" Lulu had sworn she had heard that name before. And then it hit her. "Sir Jecht's kid?! The one who trashed his father's airship?!"

"Like I keep telling everyone, it was an accident," said Tidus in the background. "Why doesn't anyone believe me?"

"So Lu, what'cha doing now?"

The girl giggled slightly. "Unpacking."

"That doesn't sound like any fun."

"That's because you're not here with me."

Yuna gagged behind Lulu. When she turned to look at the girl, Yuna stared back innocently. "What? I didn't say anything."

"When you fall for someone, you're going to have to watch your tongue."

"Was that Yuna?" asked Wakka from the other side. "Let me talk to her."

Lulu smirked handing the phone to Yuna. "My boyfriend would like to have a word with you."

Yuna took the phone, bringing it up to her ear. "Yes, Wakka?"

"Don't be hatin' 'cause you don't have a boyfriend, ya?"

Yuna started laughing. She loved Lulu and Wakka to death like her own siblings. But she just found it a little hard to swallow sometimes when they were acting so lovey-dovey around each other. Okay, sure it was normal for couples…but still. PDA. It's embarrassing. Holding hands is fine. But if you have to start kissing and sweet talking each other…ugh.

Selphie and Irvine showed PDA every once in a while. But Selphie also had enough sense to draw a line and say "stop." Wakka and Lulu were usually careful about PDA, but there were times when they slipped. Last time they slipped, Dean Kefka sentenced them both to a month of detention and made them sit on opposite sides of the room in classes they shared. Cloud and Aeris, well at least when they were going out, rarely showed any PDA. Yuna hadn't seen her and Zack around the school yet so she couldn't judge. And the last couple was…Lenne and Shuyin. They've been together forever. They were pretty affectionate in public especially on weekends, though they always separated when there was a teacher or the Deans around. They were pretty slick at not getting caught.

"Wakka, I'm not hating the relationship you and Lulu have," she said. "It's just that whenever you act so lovey-dovey to each other, you make me depressed that I don't have anyone."

"Aw, sorry. We'll try to keep under wraps, ya?"

"Thanks."

She handed the phone back to Lulu who said, "From you at least."

"Oh, very funny."

* * *

Yay! Thanks to Skykhanhunter for my first review!

Notes time! I've been thinking about how this crossover world is, and I've reached a conclusion. Let's just say this world is a combination of the worlds from 7-10. So how does this really work? From the vague idea I have in my head, I wanna say that each world from the four games is a continent in one huge world. Everything is modern so just think of Midgar or FFVIII's cities.

Yes, I realize that Rinoa was never at the orphange with Squall and the rest of them. It was a story that I made up so that she would know everyone already and I wouldn't have to go through the process of having them meet and etc. Also, normally, I am more of a Cloud x Aeris person, but I felt bad that Tifa doesn't get anyone so now in this story, it will be Cloud x Tifa. Aeris can have Zack. I was afraid of making it that characters only hung out with the characters from the games they belong to and it become a clique of some kind, so I tried mixing up the characters a little, like when Squall hangs out with Tifa and Cloud. I have no clue why I wrote that little segment with Rydia and Garnet. I thought it was rather pointless... Oh! And what did Tidus do to his dad's airship? Well, stay tuned for that later. He'll eventually say.

The Academy's uniforms are black. Girls wear skirts year round and guys wear pants year round. For the winter uniforms, the girls' skirt is generally heavier. Everyone has a white button down shirt that must be tucked in. For the summer uniform, students wear the short sleeved white shirt. For the winter uniform, students wear the long sleeved white shirt and the black jacket over it. The fall and spring uniform is long sleeved white shirt and a vest. Only with this uniform can students roll up the sleeves. The Alexandria Academy emblem is on the shirt, vest, and jacket. On the collar of the shirts is a gold Roman numeral which shows which grade the student is in. (I-XII) Each section also has a different color tie. There is red for middle school, yellow for junior high, and blue for high school.

Oh and I don't care what anyone says otherwise. Laguna is so the father of Squall. And he is know. (No use hiding it, really.)


	3. Get Lost, Literally

(-- --)

Chapter 3

Get Lost…Literally

"Attention students!" boomed Beatrix's voice over the intercom.

There were daily announcements at the beginning and end of the day. Beatrix really hated them because many people tended to interrupt her in the middle of them. She doubted her students were really paying attention, but this was a necessary evil.

"Welcome to the first day at the Academy. I have several announcements before I let your teachers fill your empty brains will knowledge. First of all, blitzball practice will begin promptly after school at the field. Don't be late. Next, Professor Locke, I know you're proud of the thieves your students have become, but do try to control them. Just because they have learned how to steal from you, doesn't mean they can freely rob whatever they want from the school--"

"And if I catch anyone robbing anything, I will personally chop off your hands and display them in my office," cut in Sephiroth.

"Sephiroth! That's enough!" yelled Beatrix. "Ahem. Continuing on, magic is not permitted in the hallways at any time. You hear that Mr. Seifer Alamasy? NO magic. We don't need someone burning down the west wing agai--"

"And if I catch anyone using magic in the halls, I'll use Silence on you and string you up by your thumbs. Gyehehehehehehehe!" interrupted Kefka.

"Kefka! Go away and go do your job!" The Principal sighed. "Anyway, one last thing. This goes out to Professor Cecil's Sword Training class. I know there hasn't been an incident since two years ago, but let's not try to kill each, okay? That's it for now. Have a good da--Edgar! Why are you testing your machinery here?! Do I have to use Shock on you?!"

CLICK.

(-- --)

Yuna loved her first period. Being an office aid was going to be definitely going to be awesome. All she had to do was take any mail Artemicion's machine received and place them in the correct mail boxes. She also got to deliver notes and detention slips to the students in classes. This was the easiest elective for her.

When she had finished delivering the passes, Yuna enjoyed peeking into the classrooms, watching the professors trying to teach. Some of them tried their best to involve the students, while others just couldn't care less.

The roof was its own private classroom but only during sixth hour. That was where Summoners practiced their skill and technique in handling the spirits with the help of Professor Terra. She was always calm, even when staring in the face of a powerful spirit. Yuna greatly admired her Professor. She was very powerful, even demonstrating her capabilities in one class. She summoned every spirit she could without breaking a sweat or feeling tired.

From the West Wing on the second floor, Yuna peeked into Professor Maechen's History class. As he lectured on the history of the continent of Spira, all of his students slept. Yuna spotted Selphie, Zell, and Irvine snoozing in the back. Professor Maechen was a good teacher, but he usually just tended to rabble on without a break. Yuna found his lectures to be very interesting, but she was guilty of sleeping in his class time to time.

Next door was Professor Celes's Math class. Complicated formulas filled up all of her boards. She saw Ormi and Logos doodling on a piece of paper in back while Leblanc was firmly attached to Nooj. Professor Celes was one of the few teachers who actually wanted to teach. Because of that, she was one of the hardest teachers in the school. She believed that it isn't her fault if a student fails. That student just didn't pay attention or take notes enough.

Professor Hojo's class was next door. It was probably his Chemistry class; he was mixing various chemicals as a demonstration. He was unlikable among the staff and student body, but there wasn't much Principal Beatrix could do. He was the sole teacher for Chemistry, Physics, and Biology in the high school division. He saved the school money.

Continuing down the hallway, she came across Professor Nhadala's Al Bhed class. Baralai was taking notes off of the board. Nhadala enjoyed digging and searching for treasure. Yuna wasn't quite sure why she was a teacher if she loved digging so much. But then again, excavations required money.

Next door was Professor Laguna's English class. He had kicked his feet onto his desk and was reading the newspaper, not paying attention that his students were completely disregarding the reading assignment. She spotted The Turks socializing in the back of the room while Edge was flirting with a girl. Laguna rarely ever taught class. He usually assigned work on the board before doing whatever he wanted. He was always reading the newspaper and drinking coffee, ignoring the fact that his students weren't learning anything at all.

Across the hall, Professor Rosa was giving a lecture on the proper incantation of the Cura spell. She spotted Garnet fervently taking notes, and Aeris was playing with the ribbon in her hair. Yuna liked Professor Rosa. She was very kind. She often stopped to explain anything that her students didn't understand. She recently got married to Professor Cecil. There were bets circulating the school on when she was going to get pregnant.

Next door was Professor Vivi's Black Magic class. Yuna spotted Lulu and Rydia inside as well as Seifer's friends Fujin and Raijin. Next door was the art room. He was a timid sort of mage, but he was a good teacher. Wakka tended to think of him as a little pet, but soon regretted those words when Professor Vivi nearly set his hair on fire with a Fira spell.

Professor Kuja had set up a table in the center of the classroom. He posed on top of it as his students sketched him from various angles. Rinoa, Yuffie, and Rufus Shinra were trying their hands at life drawing, but couldn't seem to get it. Professor Kuja was Zidane's older brother. He was such a narcissist. He was unusually feminine, and everyone mistook him as a woman at least once in their life.

Yuna could hear Professor Baku yelling in the black box theater next door. He taught theater, and was head of all the plays and productions. The theater band commonly called themselves "Tantalus." Everyone except Zidane was in this class now.

Yuna did a small twirl in tune to Professor Edward's music flooding out of one of the classrooms. As she passed by, she could hear Lenne singing.

"Oh a thousand words, one thousand embraces will cradle you, making all of your weary days seem far away. They'll hold you forever!"

Professor Edward enjoyed playing music, and that is what he did. He was also in charge of the band. Whenever he played, Yuna would always feel so relaxed .

Downstairs, she peeked into the Mechanics classroom. It was barely a class when Cid Highwind sat in the corner and smoked a cigarette while her cousin Rikku and Gippal would argue over how to fix the broken machine. Cid rarely did anything in his classes. If you showed up, you'd get an A. He would smoke and occasionally tamper with something. The only time he actually did something productive was when Miss Principal asked him to.

"Haa! Hyah!"

Yuna peeked into the dojo where Professor Sabin was teaching his martial arts class. She watched for a moment as Tifa did a roundhouse kick and break a board. Professor Sabin was Vice Principal Edgar's twin brother. He generally preferred to remain in the background and go along with the flow. He had a good sense of humor, though many jokes are made about his brother.

Next door was the indoor swimming pool and the gym where Sir Auron was making his class play basketball. Yuna saw Wakka here. Sir Auron hated being called Professor or even Coach. He was an old friend of her father's, though she didn't meet him until she transferred to the Academy in the sixth grade. He was a tough gym teacher though. He didn't care if you were the kid of an old friend. He showed no mercy.

Next door to the gym was an aerobics room that was used by the sword training and dance classes. For first period, Professor Cecil had control of the class. There were a lot of juniors in here. From looking into the window, she saw Cloud, Squall, Seifer, Zidane, Zack, and Shuyin. Paine was the only girl there. She saw Cloud's irritated face. He probably would have struck down Zack without a second thought if Squall wasn't trying to hold him back.

The empty classroom next door was for Professor Locke's Thief class, but that wasn't until next period. After getting the job as the Thief class's new professor, he had tried to change it to the "Treasure Hunting" class. Even today, he still refers to his students as treasure hunters, but everyone knows better.

Yuna stopped by the bulletin board to fix several of the papers. She turned around when she heard the front doors of the building open. A boy with messy blond hair and bright blue eyes rushed inside. His uniform was a mess. His shirt was hanging out of his vest and his tie was pulled loose. He clutched a piece of paper tightly in his hand.

He leaned forward to stop and catch his breath. Spotting her, he asked, "Excuse…me miss…but do…you…know…where the aerobics room is?"

She stared at him curiously. Why was Shuyin asking her where his first class was? He knew who she was. She and his girlfriend were in the same sixth period. Wait. Didn't she already see him in class?

"Shuyin?" she asked cautiously. "Why are you calling me 'miss'? You never call me that. Come on, you know who I am."

"Shuyin?" asked the boy. "Oh, you've mistaken me for my cousin. I'm Tidus."

Yuna looked closer at him. There was a striking resemblance between the two. Same color hair and eyes… The only difference she could make out was the aura between both. Shuyin was more cocky and arrogant while Tidus seemed more energetic and pumped up.

"Wow… It's like you're--"

"Twins. Yeah, we get that a lot," he said with a grin.

"You said your name is Tidus?" He nodded. "You're--"

"Sir Jecht's kid," he cut in.

Yuna smiled. "The airship."

"Accident. Trust me." They chuckled.

She stuck out her hand to shake his. "My name is Yuna."

"Nice to meet you." His hand seemed so warm when he touched hers. Yuna smiled more at him. "So do you know where the aerobics room is? I'm so so late. I'm late 'cause my roommate didn't wake me up and I don't know where to go."

"It's fine. The aerobics room is just right there next to the gym." She pointed to the door. She looked over Tidus again. She stepped forward and began adjusting his tie. "Here. You might want to fix up your uniform, too. The Deans don't like it if your uniform is messy."

"Thanks." He tucked his shirt in before Yuna slipped his tie inside his vest. As he began walking down the hall, he turned back to her and said, "So maybe I'll see you around?"

"You will. Most likely. We're living on the same campus after all."

"Good. Hope I have a class with you. It'll be nice to stare at such a gorgeous face." He winked at her before entering his class.

Yuna stared at the door. She felt her blood rush to her face. Only a first meeting and she was already smitten? He was so nice and cute… She shook her head. She knew that Lulu wouldn't approve. Maybe she was in too deep.

(-- --)

"Come on, let me strike him down. It'd be so easy," said Cloud. He gritted his teeth as he glared at Zack.

"Forget it," said Squall.

Zidane leaned towards them and whispered, "The story of your breakup with Aeris has already spread across the school. Even the staff heard it. Why'd ya think Miss Principal made that announcement about our class this morning?"

"Professor has enough sense not to pair both of you up."

"And you and Seifer," said Paine to Squall as she walked by. "He learned that after the incident."

The room burst open and a boy with messy blonde hair and blue eyes stumbled in. Everyone frowned. He looked so much like Shuyin. They looked at Shuyin and then the new kid.

"It's like looking at a mirror," commented Zidane.

"Sorry I'm late. I got lost."

Professor Cecil took the boy's schedule. "Tidus, is it?" He looked up at his new student. "Shuyin never said he had a twin brother."

"We're cousins," cut in Shuyin.

"Well, you can go practice with your cousin, Tidus. Just don't try to kill each other," ordered Professor Cecil. "Right Seifer? Right Squall?"

"Whatever."

"…"

"_Right_ Cloud?"

"I haven't done anything."

"Yet." Cecil scanned his class. "Now get back to work."

Cloud glared at Zack again before resuming his spar with Squall. His blows marked the sign of his frustration and anger. It really didn't help that Cloud's sword was much broader and heavier.

Tidus looked at Cloud and Squall's sparring, then at Paine and Zidane and Seifer and Zack. He whistled. "There's an air of intensity here."

"No kidding," said Shuyin. "Been like that since two years ago." He looked at his cousin and added, "How's your old man?"

"Pissed." Tidus cracked a grin. "Why do you think I'm here?"

"Story about the airship spread to the whole school."

"You're to blame for that," said Paine as she ducked a blow from one of Zidane's daggers.

Tidus raised an eyebrow. "Word travels fast."

Shuyin brandished his sword out. "It does. Come on. Let's see if I can kick your ass again." Tidus whipped out his own sword.

"You're on!"

(-- --)

Tifa dumped her books onto her desk next to Aeris. The girl looked up at her best friend and then looked away guiltily. She knew what Tifa was going ask. Everyone kept asking her the same question: Why did you do what you did? Her and Cloud were together for two years. Everyone was sure they would be together until they graduated. Everyone thought that they would be voted as Cutest Couple.

"You have a lot of explaining to do," said Tifa as she sat down. Third period was English with Professor Laguna. His assignment was on the board already, but he was fully aware that no one was going to do it. "You've been avoiding having this conversation with me since you broke up with Cloud. So what's your excuse for doing what you did?"

Aeris's slumped down as she sighed. "Tifa, I can't offer an excuse for what I did. He's still really angry, isn't he?"

"Paine told me he wanted to kill Zack in first period. And while venting out his frustration, he almost killed Squall."

The girl groaned. "I feel awful."

"You should. You dumped him for his best friend, who you've been cheating with for the past year. Jeez, talk about adding insult to injury," said Tifa. "Why did you go out with Cloud in the first place if you liked Zack, too?"

"I don't know… I liked both of them freshman year, remember?"

"I remember."

"I guess I thought that I liked Cloud more so I went out with him." Aeris rest her head on her desk, using her arms as a pillow. "But then I couldn't forget Zack. And then…we started going behind Cloud's back. It took me a year to realize I loved Zack more than Cloud."

"This is like a soap opera…"

For once, Aeris smiled and giggled. Yes, she was guilty of a terrible crime. She was with a great guy for two years, and she cheated on him with his best friend for a year. She didn't blame his anger. She should have broke up with Cloud first before going after Zack. But love is something that should never be regretted. And she did not regret falling in love with either of them.

"I have to apologize to Cloud."

"You might want to do it before he succeeds in killing Zack," said Tifa. The girls laughed softly again.

Aeris spotted Cloud walk into the classroom. She caught his eye as he made his way to his seat in the back of the room. She couldn't really read his expression. She didn't know if he was angry or just hurt. She turned away. She had to say sorry.

(-- --)

He stared at her as she laughed with her friends. She had such a pretty smile. She always smiled so easily. And whenever she smiled, there was always a sparkle in her vivid green eyes. Its luster seems much more valuable than any emerald or a diamond for that matter. He watched her unknowingly bat her long eyelashes as she absentmindedly played with one of the braids in her hair…

"You're staring again," commented Nooj. He didn't bother looking up from his math assignment.

"No, I'm not," murmured Gippal. His eye remained on her.

"You're still staring," said Baralai.

"No, I'm no--OW!" Baralai had rolled up his notebook and smacked Gippal over the head with it. "The hell was that for?!"

"I just thought I ought to turn the switch to your brain on."

"He had a brain before?" asked Nooj.

"Good point."

Gippal ripped open his bag of Skittles, spilling them out on the table. "You guys are bastards."

"Gippal, you're a bastard, too, considering you're our friend," said Nooj.

Baralai snickered and watched Gippal take aim and flick a Skittle at her and her friends. It fell short and hit the metal of the seats with a clatter. She gave him a dirty look before resuming the conversation with her friends.

"Talk about beating around the bush," said Baralai. He bit into his hamburger. "You might as well just confess already."

Nooj finally looked up from his math homework. He glanced between her and Gippal and said, "Nah. Let him have fun with his kindergarten logic."

Baralai laughed. "You're right. It'll be more entertaining to watch when it blows up in his face." Gippal flicked another Skittle at her. It landed on the table. She and her friends glanced at the sudden intrusion before ignoring it.

"What a waste of Skittles."

"Shut _up_." Slightly frustrated, he picked up a Skittle and threw it across the room as hard as possible. It bounced right off of her head.

She recoiled. "OW! Gippal!! Stop!"

He put on a face of mock innocence. "What's wrong Cid's girl?"

She narrowed her green eyes at him. "You are _so_ full of yourself."

"Honey, if you played your cards right, you could be full of myself, too." The blood rushed to her face. He smirked. "You look like a cherry."

She glared at him again and quickly retorted, "And you look like a jackass!"

"Oh, really?"

"Really. It's a shame because no matter how far a jackass travels, it won't come back a horse." Baralai and Nooj hid their laughs behind their books. See? This was entertaining. She scoffed, grabbing her books. "I've lost my appetite." She slid out of the booth, her friends following after her.

He watched her leave, eyeing the way her hips swayed as she walked. He tore his gaze away from her when his friends' laughs grew louder.

"Ugh, shut up…"

They chortled, taunting him with, "Kiiiiiindergarten loooooogic!"

(-- --)

"Do you like the Academy so far, Rinoa?" asked Yuna.

Fifth period math with Professor Celes. Unlike teachers like Cid, Laguna, and Kuja, Professor Celes actually wanted to teach. But being the first day of school, she always went easy with her students. It was the only freebie day before having to bust your ass to pass.

"Yeah, I like it," said Rinoa. "It's better than the school I used to go to in Deling City." She leaned back in her chair to see Selphie next to Yuna. "My thanks go out to Selphie for bringing me here."

Selphie grinned and saluted to her best friend. "Anytime!"

Tidus pulled up the empty chair from the desk in front of Yuna and sat down in it. "Hey there gorgeous," he greeted.

She colored again. "Hi," she said stupidly. That's all she could say? Just "hi"? She should have slapped herself for not saying something cool instead.

"Ooooh," cooed Selphie. "You're Shuyin's cousin."

Rinoa's eyes snapped up to Tidus. "The one who trashed his dad's airship?"

Before he could repeat the words he said to everyone, Yuna cut in, "Tidus says it was an accident."

He grinned at her. "Does that mean you believe me, Yuna?"

She pretended to think for a minute before saying, "Mmm, not really." She smiled softly at him, playfulness gleaming in her eyes.

"Aw, and I thought that I finally had an ally in this whole mess."

"Um…do you play blitzball, Tidus?" Yuna looked down at her desk, fidgeting. "Because your cousin does, and you look like you do…"

"Yeah, I do! Why do you ask?"

"Are you going to play for us?"

"Hell yeah! Wakka got me a place on the team. Practice starts today after school."

"So that means you'll definitely help us win the championship right?" asked Selphie. "All right! The Academy Paladins are back in action!"

Yuna smiled and added, "Yeah! We should at least win our homecoming game. Unlike last year."

"Last year was an embarrassment! It better not happen again!" Selphie quickly pointed at Tidus. "Right? Right?!"

"No problem!" He gave a thumbs up and added, "I'll score a goal just for you, Yuna."

The girl blushed but didn't say anything.

"Tidus, go back to your seat," ordered Professor Celes.

He shrugged and winked at Yuna. "See you later, gorgeous." He returned to his seat where he struck up a conversation with Zell and Cloud.

Though she was sitting down, Yuna felt weak at the knees. She laid her head on Selphie's shoulder and sighed.

"Am I crazy?" she asked. "I just met him this morning."

"You're not crazy," Rinoa said softly. "Love just has a way with people."

"Looks like Lulu's gonna be maaaaaad at you…"

(-- --)

"Remember to get your homework done, Princess," ordered Steiner.

"I will," said Garnet. She opened the door to her dorm and shut it quickly. She waited until she heard Steiner's door close before she turned on her stereo.

Day in, day out, Garnet Til Alexandros XVII was expected to wake up, get dressed, and go to school. When classes were over, she was expected to immediately return to the dormitory to finish her homework. The only time she would be able to leave was when it was time for dinner. After dinner, she was to return to the dorm for the rest of the night.

It wasn't a very exciting routine in her mind, which is why Garnet always snuck out of her room.

She opened her window and eyed her position. Rydia's idea of drastic measures was to jump out of a window and summon a Chocobo to bring her to the ground. Well, that was out of the question. Garnet was nine floors up and couldn't summon a chocobo or anything that could fly. There wasn't a ledge of any kind she could scale. The nearest tree was around the corner of the dorm. She shut the window.

She carefully opened her door instead and stepped out into the hall. She rounded the corner of the floor and found the window. Garnet opened it, carefully climbing onto one of the branches. She slowly climbed her way down until she reached the lowest branch. Looking down, it was still too far to jump.

"Oh no, I'm stuck…"

Her eyes darted around. Was there someone who could help her? There was one person passing by…

"Zidane!" she called. He looked around for the source of the voice. "Zidane! Over here!"

He looked up to see Garnet, the Princess of the Alexandria Kingdom standing in a tree. "Garnet? What are you doing up there?" he asked as he approached the tree.

"Quick question. If I fall, would you catch me?"

"Yeah, sure. But what are you--"

"Good. Then catch me."

"Whoa! Whoa! Wait!"

Too late. Garnet had already jumped off the branch. It wasn't so much catching her than it was becoming a cushion for her fall. Zidane was on the ground, slightly dazed. Garnet lifted herself up, dusting any dirt off of her clothes.

"Sorry. Did I hit you pretty hard?" she asked.

"I-I'm fine. The next time you jump out of a tree, maybe you should use Float instead."

"Huh. Float. That would have been better."

Garnet grabbed Zidane's hand, pulling him back to his feet.

"Avoiding Rusty again?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Well, I guess we should get out of here for now!" Grabbing Garnet's hand, they ran off.

(-- --)

"Something wrong?" asked Squall. He collapsed onto the couch. Rinoa turned to him, noticing the dampness of his hair and the towel draped around his neck.

The lobby of the dormitory was starting to fill up. Students were starting to coming back from their after school activities. The computer lab was completely occupied now as were the desks. Books and papers piled on top of them as students tried completing their homework.

Rinoa shook her head. "No. Just thinking." She smiled at Squall, absently fingering the necklace around her neck. "Why are you wet?"

"Just came from blitzball practice."

She chuckled lightly and said, "You play blitzball?"

"…I was drafted."

"By who?"

"Zell." Rinoa giggled, trying to hide it behind her hand. "What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry. I just never pegged you as someone who would be involved in any school activity."

"I'm also part of SeeD."

"SeeD? What's that?"

"It's an elite group full of mercenaries. After admittance, members can accept missions across the world. Most don't take these missions until after graduation."

"And you're one of them?"

"Everyone from the orphanage except Seifer is one. Quistis was one before she graduated."

Rinoa turned her body to face Squall, hugging her knees to her chest. "So how do you become one? I wanna join!"

"Pass a written exam. Pass a field exam. Be accepted by the leader of SeeD. You have to go through rigorous training for several years. It's enough to make you cough up blood." She looked at him with wide eyes.

"S-serious?"

"You think I'd lie? Ask Selphie. She may look innocent, but she's as hard as steel to endure it."

"Nevermind then. I guess I won't join."

A silence fell between them. Rinoa stared at Squall's face. He was certainly attractive. His hair was a little messy, whether it was damp or not. He had bluish-gray eyes that looked a little dull and hard as if they impenetrable stone walls.

Noticing her stares, he frowned at her. "What?"

"You don't look anything like your dad," she said. Realizing her words, she quickly added, "Sorry! You probably don't want to talk about something like that."

He took out his wallet and handed a picture to Rinoa. "He gave me a picture of my mom."

She took it, staring at the woman. She had long brown hair and the same bluish-gray eyes her son had. The sparkle in her eyes made her look like a true motherly figure – stern yet kind.

"She's gorgeous." Rinoa handed the photo back to him. "Do you ever dream of her?"

"Dream of my mom? Sounds like a stupid idea," he replied.

Rinoa looked away guiltily. "I dream of my mom…" she whispered.

"You _knew_ your mom. My mom is just a stranger."

"But that's why you should dream of your mom! It'll be like getting to know her."

"It's a waste of my time," he snapped. He got up, striding towards the stairs. "No use thinking about someone I barely remember."

Rinoa sighed. "But it's your _mother_," she whispered. "If I were in your place, I'd want to know who she is…"

* * *

Rydia, Edge, Cloud, Aeris, Zack, Tifa, Rufus, Squall, Rinoa, Selphie, Zell, Irvine, Fuijin, Raijin, Zidane, Garnet, Yuna, Tidus, and Paine are 17 and are juniors. Gippal is 16, but he is also a junior. He just hasn't turned 17 yet.

Yuffie is 16 and she's a sophomore. Rikku is 15 and she is also a sophomore. She just hasn't turned 16 yet.

Seifer, Wakka, Lulu, Lenne, Shuyin, Baralai, Leblanc, Ormi, Logos, and Nooj are all 18 and are seniors.

I really haven't decided where the rest of Tantalus falls in, but I am assuming ranging from sophomore to senior years.

There are fifteen Turks in this story, but your main ones are Tseng, Reno, Rude, and Elena of course. The four of them are up there with the juniors. The other eleven are the playable characters from Before Crisis. Cissnei, the nunchaku male, and the knife female are juniors. The other eight are seniors. (This is including the Legendary Turk.)

Beatrix's announcements are one of my favorite things about this story. And even though the thought of having Kefka and Sephiroth as Deans scare me, I love them in this story as well. And yes, all of those students listed are in this school. I just haven't had the fun to mess with them completely.

I'm still a little worried I haven't captured some of the characters' true personality. Namely Cloud, Squall, and Tidus. Although I think Tidus is starting to edge right on the mark, I'm still unsure of the two reserved heroes. Need some feedback, please.

I had a little dilemma on what the mascot of the Academy should be. I was thinking "Chimeras", and then the "Arrows", but decided to go with Paladins. My reason behind it is because Beatrix's class is techinically the Holy Knight or the Paladin. So now the school is the Alexandria Academy Paladins. School colors are white and black.

Also, as pointless as it may be, I've been questioning Squall's eye color. From what I see in the artwork, his eyes are blue. In the cutscenes in the game, they look like a lighter shade of gray. It's really been bugging me for some reason.

Review? Pretty please?


	4. Struggle for Power

(-- --)

Chapter 4

Struggle for Power

"Listen up!" snapped Beatrix.

"Looks like you're not in a good mood," commented Edgar.

"…No, really? Never noticed."

"Is it that time of the month?"

All that could be heard was a loud screech and then a huge bang. Students could hear their Vice Principal groaning in the background.

"Ahem. Blitzball players, practice, same time, same place. You better be practicing hard. I want to see a championship trophy this year. All students in Professor Locke's class please stop stealing food from the kitchens. Quina wanted me to pass on the message that if s/he catches anyone in the kitchens, s/he will eat you."

"The brats are too disgusting to eat," commented Kefka.

"Yes, that's true, but then again, it is cannibalism. Next announcement…Rufus Shinra, stop being such an egotistical brat and thinking you can use your money to influence everything in this school. I don't care how much gil your father donates, it won't change the fact that you are a student like everyone else. Whatever I say, goes."

"Can I cut off one of his appendages?" asked Sephiroth.

"If this problem arises again."

"Yessssss!"

"And finally…Seifer Alamasy, you and your friends are not the Disciplinary Crew. I talked to you about this last year. And the year before that. And the year before that. The Turks are the school's Disciplinary Crew and you are not a part of it. It isn't my fault you couldn't join them."

"And SeeD," added Kefka.

"Yes, and SeeD. That's it for today. Get back to studying."

CLICK.

(-- --)

"Miss Principal certainly has some fighting words," commented Professor Rosa. She stared up at the intercom before shrugging. "Rufus won't be taking this lightly."

"There really isn't much that Rufus can do," said Garnet. "My mother has the real jurisdiction of this school. She's not easily swayed with large amounts of gil and flattery."

"Plus, Midgar isn't under your kingdom's rule. They're not even on the same continent," added Professor Rosa. "I guess that means I don't have to worry about losing my job just yet. So let's continue our studies on the Cura spell…"

(-- --)

"Quick question."

"Hm?"

"Why am I friends with you again?"

"Because you've known me forever and you love me."

"…No, that can't be it."

Setting down his tools, Gippal turned around to face Rikku. She laughed, flashing him her million dollar smile.

"Yeah, sure, I've known you forever. But I don't always love you."

"And why not?"

"Because you act like such a jackass."

"Now why would you say that?" asked Gippal. He leaned against his workbench, a smirk playing at his lips. "It's not like I'm a gray animal that people in olden times used to ride because they couldn't afford a horse."

Rikku laughed again. The dulcet tone of her voice was music to his ears. He loved the way she looked at him. It was a look that was reserved for him alone.. It was a look that combined sixteen years of friendship, inside jokes, a bold challenge, and teenage hormones.

She returned his smirk with one of her own. She put a hand on her hip, cocking it out to side. He watched her eyes look him up and down. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she said, "Well, you're not so much a _gray_ jackass. More like purple."

"Don't go dissing my wardrobe."

Her eyes turned innocent as she said, "But I haven't said a word at all!"

"It doesn't matter what my clothes look like, anyway," he said with a suggestive smile. "They all end up on the floor."

She had seen the flash of a challenge in his eye. She slowly stepped towards him until their bodies were just barely touching. The distance between their lips closed, yet they didn't quite touch. She was so close, Gippal desperately wanted to close it. Her fingers glided over his hands, slowly trailing up the skin of his arms to his rolled up sleeves and then to his shoulders. Her touch made the hairs on his arm stand on end. She slowly checked him out again, not even minding the slight, gentle pressure of their bodies. She continued her light caress on his arms.

_Damn_, he wanted to kiss her right then and there.

"My, my," she chuckled, her voice lower than a whisper now. "What do your roommates think of your little exploits?"

Two could play at this game.

"You forget. I have a private room."

"Ooh, lucky you. But what do your neighbors say?"

"Really good porn."

Rikku giggled softly, the flirtatious smile still playing at her lips. "Oh? I think I'd be louder than any of the other girls you've ever had."

His smirk faded. Forgetting the game he said, "Really?"

"Sucker." She grinned knowing she had won.

"Dammit!"

"Hey! None of that in my workshop! Take your seducin' whatever somewhere else," snapped Cid. He lit another cigarette before bringing it up to his lips.

She smiled triumphantly at Gippal before creating a distance between their bodies. She turned to her teacher and said, "Oh, come on, Cid! It's just a little bit of harmless fun!"

"That didn't look "harmless" to me! More like a rage of hormones!"

Rikku rolled her eyes. "Jeez, you sounds like my Pops."

"And they ironically have the same name," joked Gippal.

Sometimes he wondered if she was just playing him. These little flirting trysts they occasionally had was treading on dangerous ground. It pushed him further to the point where could snap and ruin everything. There was the chance that she would return his feelings, but he didn't want to risk what they had now.

"Gippal, get back to working on that engine. Rikku, go put something together."

"Aww! Why does Gippal get to work on the engine?" asked Rikku. Her smile faded and was promptly replaced with a pout.

"Because, one," started Cid, letting out a puff of smoke, "that engine belongs to your father's airship."

"The _Fahrenheit_?"

"Yeah. And two--"

"--he trusts me more," teased Gippal.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Meanie!"

He chuckled. "See? Why can't you call me that instead of a jackass?"

"Aw," she asked in a baby like voice. "Is it less of a blow to your ego?"

"…maybe."

(-- --)

"They're a dangerous pair," commented Paine.

"Their relationship is one huge bipolar disorder," added Yuna.

"And a time bomb waiting to go off."

Both were staring at the couple in question across the courtyard. Everyone had come to the conclusion that there were four stages for them to act around each other.

The first stage was just a normal combination of their personalities. Rikku would act all bubbly and cheerful while Gippal was cocky and in her words, "a womanizing ass." In this period, they usually just talked and laughed. Anyone who watched this scene could tell they were in love with each other. They just didn't know it. Selphie, Lenne, and Lulu could recognize the look on Rikku's face at the drop of a hat. Her smile would be soft and there was a sense of peace in her face. Her eyes would sparkle as if the stars of the night sky were in them. And of course, _everyone_ could tell Gippal loved her. He always stared at her with a look that meant fascination and more, whether she was looking at him or not.

The second stage kept everyone away at a distance. This usually happened when Gippal resorted to his kindergarten logic, resulting in a very scary Rikku. There were two types of anger in Rikku. If she pouted and used names like "meanie," then she wasn't really angry. If she started using stronger names, then hell's fury was hers to command. Sometimes she got violent. Paine could remember one instance where Rikku started throwing her books at him and whatever she could get her hands on. She was lucky that none of the Deans had caught her. Although, in a rare case, Gippal would shout right back at her. He usually was the one to ignite Rikku's true anger for the fun of it.

The third stage made people wonder why they weren't together yet. Both enjoyed games and challenges. They were rarely ever turned down. This stage tended to follow after the start of a double entendre conversation.

The fourth stage hadn't been achieved yet. They were too dense and too cautious to take their relationship further than their flirting challenges.

"If they wait, everything is going to blow up in their faces."

"If they disarm the wires, then maybe they'd have a chance."

The two girls watched Rikku laugh happily at something Gippal had said.

"Homecoming's coming up," said Yuna.

"Have you plotted something yet?"

"No. Have you?"

"I'll talk to Nooj and Baralai to see what they've got in store."

Yuna smiled and laughed. "Tifa says that we should lock them in a closet."

Paine smirked. "We can always save that for Christmas. That and the moving mistletoe."

Devising ways to bring Gippal and Rikku together was a favorite pastime for many of the juniors and a few of the seniors. Attempts were made for every important school event. Baralai and Nooj made such attempts on a regular basis though Gippal saw right through them. He was grateful, to be sure, but he warded off all of their schemes. He didn't want to jeopardize his relationship with Rikku. He told them that when the time was right, he would do everything himself. Rikku seemed oblivious to the different schemes her cousin and her friends were concocting.

"Well, back to the drawing board then."

(-- --)

"Stupid bitch telling me what to do…" muttered Seifer.

"ANNOYING," said Fujin.

"Ya got that right!" said Raijin. "Who does Miss Principal think she is, ordering us around like that?"

A freshman student ran past their table causing them to rise at the same time.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? You don't run in the commons!" yelled Seifer. "You want detention or something?"

"I, uh…"

Someone came up from behind Seifer, hitting him with a stick. "Ow!" he cried. He turned around to see Tseng, Reno, Rude, and Elena of The Turks.

"Who do you think you are?" asked Reno. "You ain't part of The Turks, yo!"

The Turks were the Disciplinary Crew. They took orders from the Deans, Beatrix, and Edgar. It was their job to make sure the school rules were upheld by their fellow students. It was easy to recognize them. They wore black ties instead of the color of their section. They also had a pin with the emblem and name of The Turks. They were the few students that could almost get away with anything. Even if they broke the rules themselves, the Deans turned a blind eye to them. There were fifteen members at the present moment.

"You guys are a pain in my ass…" growled Seifer. He glowered at Reno and Elena's smug faces.

"You know you're not supposed to go around acting like you're a part of our crew!" said Elena. She winked and added, "Especially after Miss Principal told you off during this morning's announcement."

"This is reportable," pointed out Rude.

"That's right! Maybe we should tell Dean Kefka or Dean Sephiroth about the wanna-be Turks!"

"You should be reporting that kid for running in the commons, not us!" cut in Raijin.

Tseng looked at the freshman and said, "Get out of here. Don't let this happen again."

"Y-yes, sir!"

The freshman student quickly walked out of the commons. Seifer turned to glare at the Turks.

"You should have given him detention. He deserved it!"

"RULEBREAKER," said Fujin.

"People make mistakes," said Tseng. "We don't use our power to be better than everyone else." He looked at the other members and added, "Which is why you'll _never_ be a Turk, Seifer."

A battle of fierce glares commenced. It seemed like the tiniest spark could erupt into a war.

"Is there a problem here?" asked Sephiroth, slowly striding towards the opposing parties. "Do I have to cut off someone's arm?"

"Not at all, sir," said Tseng. "Seifer and his friends were just leaving."

Sephiroth always meant business. It was a stupid idea to try and challenge him. Swallowing his anger, Seifer glared at the Turks one last time before leaving the dining commons with his friends at his heels.

The Turks watched Sephiroth leave to go question another student.

"Oooh! Tseng, you're so cool!" gushed Elena. "That's why you'll definitely be the Turks' leader next year."

He gave a small nod. "We have work to do."

Reno grinned. "Damn, I love being a Turk."

(-- --)

Tifa sat down on the grass. She began her routine stretches, watching as the other cheerleaders did the same. Honestly, she didn't know why she was a cheerleader in the first place. She was in eighth grade when she first became one. Tifa blamed Aeris. Perhaps it was under her influence that she decided to be peppy and cheer on her school.

Aeris ran across the lawn of the courtyard to join Tifa and the rest of the cheerleaders.

"Sorry! Sorry I'm late!" she called out to Lenne, head of the squad.

"It's fine. We'll be starting in five minutes anyway. Go stretch," she said.

Aeris sat down on the grass next to Tifa. "Hey, hey. Can I ask you something?"

"Like what?" Tifa raised an eyebrow. She didn't know if Aeris was all back to normal or if something was up since she was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Are you happy that Cloud and I broke up?"

"_What_?"

"Well, are you?"

"Y-you're asking me if I'm happy that you dumped my childhood friend because you realized you liked his best friend more?!"

"Well, I didn't mean it like _that_." Aeris rolled her eyes. "I just thought that because you and Cloud have known each other for so long, you probably have feelings for him."

Tifa wished that there was a way to suppress her blood from rushing to her face. She also wished that Aeris wouldn't see it. No avail, anyway. She was very perceptive.

"That doesn't matter," snapped Tifa. "It's not like anything would come out of it if I did."

"You sound like Rikku and Gippal now."

"Okay! Let's get practicing girls!" called Lenne. The cheerleaders all stood up, getting into their positions. "Let's start with our standard cheer."

"Let's go Paladins! Let's go! Let's go Paladins! Let's go!"

"Good, good. How about our defense cheer?"

"Knock 'em down! Roll 'em around! Come on, defense! Work! Work!"

Lenne watched her cheerleaders practice with a small smile on her face. They really were good, and she was really proud of them.

"Miss Lenne." The head cheerleader turned around to see Professor Rosa approaching her. "May I please speak to you for a minute?"

"Everyone, go stretch for now," ordered Lenne.

The moment Lenne's back was turned to speak to her professor, Aeris turned to Tifa and whispered, "So? So? Do you have a thing for Cloud?"

"Aeris!"

"Oh, come on! You can tell me!"

Tifa frowned, staring at her best friend. She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms before saying, "I'm over it."

"Since when?"

"Since…forever ago."

"Define 'forever ago.'"

"Since Cloud decided to get over himself and ask you out."

Aeris stared at Tifa with wide eyes. "Freshman year was not 'forever ago!'"

The other girl sighed. "Well it does to me. Like I said, I'm over it."

Or at least that's what she thought. She had come to terms with the fact that Cloud would never see her as anything more than a friend. She realized it when he used to go to her to ask questions about Aeris or get advice. On the other side of the coin, Aeris used to ask her questions about Cloud. She gave up without a fight just so she could make her two closest friends be happy. She did have short relationships with a few guys, Rude and Zell among them. But as time went by, and the longer those two were together, the less she had feelings for him.

"But am I really over him?" thought Tifa. "It's not like I got any closure. Maybe those feelings went dormant?"

Aeris waved a hand in front of Tifa's face. "Uh, Tifa?"

She blinked several times, snapping out of her reverie. "Huh? What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just fine," she said. "But just out of curiosity, why did you ask me if I have feelings for Cloud?"

"Well, I was just thinking if I had hurt anyone else with this whole mess… "

"Aeris, I'm fine."

She nodded.

"Which reminds me, you still need to apologize to him."

"Ugh…I know."

"Better do it soon." Tifa stood up and yawned. "Squall says he's getting sick of putting up with Cloud."

(-- --)

Supplementary lessons were no one's idea of fun. Especially when the subject came to Chemistry. Especially when the teacher was Hojo. Especially when he didn't really give a damn what these lessons were about. _Especially_ when he just let these students mix whatever they wanted.

Which proved to have disastrous results in the hands of Yuffie Kisaragi.

Having failed her last test, she was ordered to do extra lessons to make up for the grade. She honestly didn't know why she was taking Chemistry anyway. She heard it was a hard class from the upperclassmen. But she wanted to mix things up. Literally.

It was a good thing Rikku and Garnet decided to help her with her lesson today. It _was_ a good thing. Hojo had decided this afternoon he would ignore Yuffie completely and go into the lab next door. And besides, Rikku was really good at Chemistry and Garnet was smart.

"D-don't mix those two together," warned Garnet.

Yuffie stopped, two Fire Gems just hovering over the beaker.

"What happens if I do mix these together?" she asked.

"You cause a fire storm," said Rikku. "A big explosion. BOOM!"

"I don't think we need to burn down any buildings." Garnet laughed. "Not like the way Seifer set the West Wing on fire last year."

"Or when those twins Palom and Porom were practicing Twin magic and nearly caused a meteor to crash into their classrooms."

Yuffie walked over to the pile of junk on the adjacent table. She set the Fire Gems on it and began scouting for something she could use. She held up two fish scales.

"How about these?" she asked.

"No floods, please," begged Rikku.

The other girl sighed and began searching for something else.

"Why don't you create something that won't cause damage?" asked Garnet. "Like, use two Potions."

"But that's no fun! I want something that will be destructive. Something…_fiery_."

Rikku kicked her feet onto the table and leaned back on her chair. "Then you should go with the grenades or the fire gems." She watched Yuffie reach for the materials. "BUT! Miss Principal will kill you if you end up destroying something."

Yuffie stomped her feet on the floor. "This sucks!"

"You could probably mix whatever you want, just as long as we have someone who knows Black Magic here. They can neutralize the effect," Rikku suggested.

Garnet whipped out her cell phone. "I guess I'll call Rydia or Lulu."

(-- --)

Rufus Shinra had no friends.

He believed that it was because people were intimidated of him. Those who weren't just thought of him as a pompous ass. He was the heir to Shinra Corporation in Midgar, which had huge influence on Northern Gaia. He could buy whatever he wanted in life.

Except friends.

He was incredibly jealous of the relationship everyone had at the dorm. Living under the same roof generally made you know everyone. It was a big, huge family in its own right. Rufus was just an outcast. It wasn't like he _wanted_ to be one. He just had a terrible habit with his speech.

Like during sophomore year, Tifa Lockhart accidentally dropped her eraser near his desk. He picked it up. He could have just handed it over to her, but instead he threw it to the front of the room and hissed, "Go fetch." She almost punched his lights if it weren't for Zell and Edge to hold her back.

And there was the time that Shuyin dropped one of his books and Rufus picked it up. Instead of giving it back, he said, "Bow down and beg for it." Shuyin didn't hesitate to punch him in the stomach. Dean Kefka was even there, but the dean turned a blind eye to start yelling at the Nero brothers for gambling.

And then there was the time that he overheard Selphie Tilmitt and her friends planning on going to a karaoke bar in Treno and he said to them, "Karaoke? How can you go to that? It's stupid. You actually like the sound of your own singing? It's so low class."

Rufus _wanted_ to say something nice to people, but the words never processed correctly when they came out of his mouth. It was always something arrogant and rude and harsh. On a few occasions, he even made a few girls cry.

Yuna was one of them. Lulu and Wakka nearly had his head for that. Then the blitzball team was after him. Then the blitzball team's friends were. It was a nightmare. It was like a chain reaction. If you hurt or piss off one person, then their friends and almost everyone associated with them would be after you blood. Rufus probably would have transferred if it weren't for Miss Principal's announcement.

"I know there has been talk about wanting Rufus Shinra to die," said Beatrix. "Trust me, I've heard the rumors. But as much as I…dislike that arrogant moron as much as the rest of you, I would very much appreciate it if you do not kill him. Do you know how hard it is to clean up blood?"

"Especially when it squirts everywhere after you cut off a limb or two," added Sephiroth.

"Sephiroth, I hate interruptions, but I agree with you this time."

The murder attempts stopped and were replaced with dirty looks after that announcement. (No one dared to mess with Miss Principal. After all, it was a well known fact that she was once in charge of all of Queen Brahne's army and one of the finest knights in the world.)

Rufus Shinra had no friends.

And he could get one…

If only he could control whatever came out of his mouth.

(-- --)

Lulu wanted Yuna to be happy. She wanted her to have a boyfriend and find love. But the "older sister" instinct would always kick in. She would be the judge of whoever had an interest in Yuna. If deemed unworthy, she could easily scare those guys off. Black Magic is a force to be reckoned with.

So when she saw Tidus sit down with Yuna under a tree in the courtyard, the instinct awoke again. She had to find out that new kid's intention.

Well, she did have a right to decide who was worthy to go out with Yuna. Somewhat. Sure, she's known her since childhood. And sure, she's thinks of Yuna as a little sister. And sure, she's the closest mother figure she's ever had. So she had to protect Yuna. Right? She was such an innocent and pure girl. No one should ever hurt her. And if they did, Lulu knew seven ways to kill a person. (Four were excruciating, one was slow and painful, one was instant, and one was something she hadn't tried yet though she expected it would be much more painful than the first four.)

And she didn't care if Tidus was Sir Jecht's kid. And she didn't care if her boyfriend said that Tidus wasn't as bad as she thought. And she didn't care if the trashing of his father's airship was just an accident. It didn't _sound_ like an accident.

Lulu looked around the courtyard. The cheerleaders were practicing on the other side of the courtyard. Relm Arrowny was drawing the statues of Cosmos and Chaos. The middle school twins Palom and Porom were nearby practicing their magic. Rydia was playing around with her Mist Dragon near the gate. She then spotted Rinoa sit in one of the trees reading a book.

"Oh, this is dumb," she muttered. "There is _no_ place for me to eavesdrop on them."

She finally settled on hiding behind a nearby tree. She found it to be in perfect earshot of Tidus and Yuna.

"So you can Summon monsters?" asked Tidus.

"Well, they're not monsters per se," explained Yuna. "Professor Terra tends to call them spirits because they are called so many different things in different parts of the world."

"Like what?"

"Well, where Professor Terra is from, they are called espers. Northern Gaia usually refers to them as summon materia. Southern Gaia calls them eidolons. On Gaius, they are called Guardian Forces, and on Spira, we call them Aeons."

"Cool."

"Isn't it?"

"So how many can you Summon?"

"Um…"

Lulu imagined that Yuna was counting off with her fingers.

"Six. Well, technically eight if you count the Magus Sisters separately." Lulu heard Yuna let out an embarrassed giggle. "Compared to some of the other girls, I think I'm no good. They can summon more spirits than I can."

"Nah, that can't be true!"

"No, it is! Rydia's really good. She can summon twelve. She's working on trying to master the spirits Asura and Leviathan." She pointed at the girl near the gate. "That's her personal favorite: the Mist Dragon. And then Aeris can summon ten. Garnet and Lenne can summon seven."

"Ah, who cares about them? I say work at your own pace."

"You're probably right. But I really want to be like Professor Terra! She can summon thirty-one spirits! She's amazing!"

"My old man told me about this one summon before. I can't remember the name of it, but apparently he is the Dragon King?"

"Oh, you're talking about Bahamut. Yeah, he's really powerful. Only Lenne has mastered how to summon him so far. The rest of us are still working on it." Yuna paused for a minute. "I think we're talking about too much of spirits. Tell me about Zanarkand, Tidus."

"Well, it's a city of endless lights. It never sleeps."

Yuna giggled. "Then how were you able to go to school?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. I was practically failing because I kept skipping class to go watch the Zanarkand Abes play at the stadium."

"I'm surprised your dad didn't send you here sooner because of your grades."

"I think he finally snapped after the airship incident."

Yuna smiled, her eyes twinkling. "Still an accident?"

"You know it."

She laughed. "You know, my father went to Zanarkand once. He said he's never seen anything like it before."

"That's because there isn't anything like Zanarkand."

"Then I guess you don't know about Treno."

"What's Treno?"

"It's a city that also never sleeps. Surprisingly, it's close to the Academy. Closer than Alexandria itself. But on Fridays to Sundays, students can take a train to Treno to hang out and relax."

Tidus grinned. "Well, does Treno have a blitzball stadium that houses the greatest blitzball players ever?"

"No."

"Then no competition! Zanarkand is clearly better than Treno!"

Yuna started laughing again as she added, "That's biased! You've never been to Treno!"

"So?!"

Lulu had nearly heard enough. Perhaps Tidus wasn't interested in Yuna that way…

"Are you happy that you've come to the Academy?" asked Yuna.

"Yeah! Because if I hadn't, I never would have met you, gorgeous."

Lulu raised an eyebrow. Either Tidus was a flirt, or he did like Yuna. But by using "gorgeous" as a pet name or something similar usually denoted flirtatiousness. She held her hands several inches apart and started playing with the elements. A small icicle appeared, twisting and turning in the air. Then a flame emerged, melting the ice into water. A small bolt of electricity zapped the water before turning into an icicle again.

"Hey, Lu! So this is where you are!" yelled out Wakka.

She looked up to see her boyfriend running up to her. She clapped her hands together and the elements disappeared. "Ssshh!"

"Huh?"

"Lulu?" She turned her head to see Yuna and Tidus heading towards her hiding spot. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for Wakka," she lied. Her cell phone began ringing. Oh, great timing. She answered it. "Hello?"

"Hello, Lulu. It's Garnet."

"Hello."

"I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"Can you come down to Professor Hojo's classroom please? Yuffie has supplementary lessons and she wants to mix toget--"

"No! Yuffie no!" yelled Rikku in the background. "I told you to wait until we can get someone who uses Black Magic down here!"

"Come on! I'm sick of waiting!" yelled Yuffie. "How bad will it be?"

"Yuffie, NO!"

There was a loud explosion on the other end of the line.

"Whoa!"

"Oh my god, they're gonna kill us!"

"Lulu! Please get down here as soon as possible!" screamed Garnet. "Encase the room in an armor against magic! Shell!"

The line went dead.

"Gotta go!"

Lulu began sprinting towards the classrooms. The building was so far from the courtyard. Would she make it in time? There was a flash a light.

"Lulu!"

She turned around for a brief moment, only to feel a gust of wind and being swept off of her feet. She realized that Yuna had summoned Valefor and swept her onto the spirit's back. Valefor rushed towards the building, its wings slicing through the air.

She was going to make it in time.

* * *

Oooh, cliffhanger.

I don't have much notes for this chapter. Other than Northern Gaia and Southern Gaia. Northern Gaia is the Final Fantasy VII world. Southern Gaia is the world from the ninth game. Both are named Gaia, so I had to distinguish it somehow. And the world from the eighth game doesn't have an official name so I used the name Gaius for now.

Rufus's speaking habit is something I've based off of a character from a manga I've read before. In "You're My Girlfriend," the character Hatsune usually ends up saying something arrogant and rude when she really wants to say something nice. We'll see how Rufus changes in the time being.

Thanks for reading!


	5. Endless Lights

(-- --)

Chapter 5

Endless Lights

"Gooooood morning Academy students!" said Edgar. "This is your Vice Principal Edgar Figaro speaking. Poor Miss Principal isn't feeling well right now, so I've come to do the announcements for her. Come down to Student Services and cheer your principal up.

"It's Friday, and you know what that means, right? Our blitzball team, the Academy Paladins have their first game today! Come and support them at the field. Game starts at seven! Wear black and white to show off your spirit! Next, Professor Locke, Miss Principal apologizes for accusing your students for stealing food from the kitchens. Eiko Carol, you know you have detention today right?"

"Thieves should have their hands cut off," pointed out Sephiroth. "Can I do the honors?"

"She's a child! You can't do it! Oh! And speaking of detention, it will be held in Professor Laguna's classroom after school today. Professor Hojo's classes will be held outside in the courtyard until his classroom is cleaned up and repaired. Jeez, you kids really need to stop burning down parts of the school."

There was a rap on the door. Edgar looked up. It was Quistis. "I'm sorry to interrupt, sir, but I have some news."

"Like what?"

"The trains are up and running now."

"Oh, sweet!! Hear that, kids?! The trains are working just fine now so you can take it to Treno to have fun! There is a train every hour. Remember your curfew hours."

Kefka reached over to bring the microphone to his mouth. "Don't forget kiddies! Gyehehehehe! You have an hour to get back to your dorms. We will be checking to see that everyone is there!"

Edgar shoved him away. "Yeah, what he said. No, seriously, the Deans aren't kidding. You guys have a curfew. If you get caught afterwards…well, you better hope someone can save you. It's the weekend! Enjoy it, kids!"

CLICK.

(-- --)

"Wow," mumbled Lenne. "I'm surprised it doesn't look worse."

School was over and kids were piling out into the hallways. There was a crowd standing outside of Professor Hojo's classroom. The lights were off, but the desks in the front row were burned to a crisp. Several surrounding desks and chairs were charred. Ashes and soot were all over the floor. The ceiling and several of the lights were blackened.

"It's because Garnet cast Shell on the whole room," said Aeris.

Garnet let out an embarrassed laugh. "I thought it would help the classroom from burning down really quickly."

"Good thinking."

"Yuffie and Rikku weren't too much help. They kept running around screaming. Then they started fumbling with the fire extinguisher…"

"I heard that Lulu almost flooded the school when she was putting out the fire," said Rydia.

"She used Waterga," explained Yuna. "I think Watera would have been fine."

The door to the roof opened and closed with a snap. Professor Terra appeared, striding down the hallway. Professor Celes had also left her classroom. They began dispersing the crowd of students.

"That's enough! Nothing to see here! Go on, get out of here!" yelled Professor Celes.

"You have no business here! You've already seen the classroom," said Professor Terra. Spotting her own students, she added, "Girls, leave."

The five summoners obeyed and left.

"So what was Yuffie's punishment?"

"A week of detention and a month of social probation."

"That sucks."

"I bet Miss Principal's punishment is easier than the one the Deans had in mind," said Lenne. "I think she can live without Treno for a month. And she won't be missing Homecoming."

"What about you and Rikku?" asked Aeris. "Did you both get in trouble?"

"No. But apparently Professor Hojo is in a lot of trouble," said Garnet. "He wasn't there to supervise the lesson. Miss Principal was _furious_."

"They won't fire him," said Lenne. "It'll cost the Academy money." The older girl looked at her watch and tapped Aeris on the shoulder. "Come on, we've got to go."

Aeris checked her own watch. "Oh, okay." She turned to the rest of her classmates and added, "You guys should come to the game tonight!"

Both girls left heading towards the gym and the girls' locker room. Garnet and Rydia smirked, giving Yuna a few glances.

"Are you going to tonight's game, Yuna?" asked Rydia. She had to give the girl some credit. If she was hiding her embarrassment, she was doing a good job. "Tidus is going to be playing, you know?"

Yuna swallowed the lump in her throat. "O-oh, really?"

"You know," Garnet said nonchalantly, "there have been rumors going around."

"Such as?"

"Like that Tidus has a crush on you and you like him, too!"

Yuna had heard that rumor before. But it was just a _rumor_. And while it was half true on her part, the only ones she really confessed about it to was Lulu, Selphie, and Rinoa. Keeping her emotions in check, she said, "What are we in, junior high? I thought we got over gossiping about boys like this."

"Don't be coy!" exclaimed Rydia.

"I'm not being coy. Though if we are talking about coy, then I guess I shouldn't say anything about Edge. Right, Rydia?" Yuna casually flipped her hair. "There was that one rumor that he was going to ask you to Homecoming," she lied.

"Complete lie. Everyone knows that Edge says he's going to ask me to Homecoming and he never does!"

Yuna smirked. "Disappointed?"

"Of course not!"

Yuna burst through the double doors, ending the silly conversation of rumors.

"Hey, wait a minute, Yuna!"

(-- --)

Yuffie tapped her pencil on the desk. Detention wasn't so bad. Kids from all grades were put into the same room. Kids were usually pretty covert about any troublemaking, and the Turks normally overlooked small offenses. Other than that, kids were on good behavior because of their fear of the Deans. The teacher supervising it today was Professor Laguna. He really was one of the most apathetic teachers ever. Like he did in most of his classes, he was reading.

She looked around the classroom. There weren't that many kids in detention today. Gippal was there messing around with a few clocks. He was taking them apart, using different portions to create a whole new clock. Yuffie wasn't completely sure why Gippal was in detention. Eiko Carol was in here, too. She was the one stealing food from the kitchens all along. Seifer and his friends were here. No surprise. There were a few other students that she didn't know.

Yuffie began doodling in her notebook. It was a shame she was on social probation for a month. She really wanted to go to tonight's game. And it really was a shame she couldn't go to sleep in detention. No matter how lax the teacher was, they all required that all students could not go to sleep in fear that someone from Administration would walk in.

"Hey, Professor Laguna, can I ask you a question?" she asked.

He looked up from his book, a laugh playing at his lips. "You just did."

She ignored the joke. "How come you never teach us?"

"Most kids these days don't want to be taught." He shrugged. "In high school, most kids just want to get out of school."

"So you just leave our assignments on the board?"

"Kids who want to do them, can do them. It makes no difference to me." He raised an eyebrow. "Does that answer your question?"

"Not really."

Professor Laguna sighed, marking a page in his book and setting it down. "I've tried to teach this class when I first started out here. It didn't go so well. The students were more apathetic than I am today. I'm not going to waste my time teaching kids who don't want to learn."

"Then why stay here?"

"It pays money, doesn't it? Plus I have free housing and free food."

"And your son's here?"

"He came here after he found out about me. But you're right, I probably stay here because he is the only family I have left."

Yuffie bit her lip. She wanted to ask a little more, but she felt like it wasn't her place to ask. It was treading on dangerous ground. She had no right to ask her professor about his life before the Academy.

(-- --)

"Ah! There's nothing like a good drink after a long week of work!" said Steiner. He sat down at the counter. "Bartender! I would like a scotch on the rocks, please!"

Garnet sighed. "Steiner, this is the _soda_ bar. They only serve non-alcoholic drinks here." When her bodyguard narrowed his eyes in confusion, she sighed again. "It's a bar for minors. The bar with alcoholic drinks is a block from here."

"I see. I…well…"

"Just go, if you want a drink so badly."

"But--"

"I'll be fine!" she cut in. "Go!"

"Thank you, Princess!"

Steiner quickly left the bar. The princess rolled her eyes and sighed, taking a sip of her soda. Zidane jumped onto the barstool next to her.

"Hey. Fancy seeing you here."

"Likewise."

"I'll have a Dr. Pepper," he said to the bartender. He turned to Garnet again. "How come you're not at the game?"

"Blitzball isn't really my kind of thing." She shrugged. "How come you're here?"

"Why shouldn't I be here?"

"I thought Tantalus still had rehearsals."

"Been done."

"I see. Then why aren't _you_ at the game?"

"I wanted a drink. You know, acting is hard stuff."

Garnet laid her head on the counter using her arms as a pillow. She looked up at Zidane. "This is a very uninteresting conversation."

He raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you've been hanging around Selphie too much."

"_Everyone_ hangs around Selphie too much. It's really not a bad thing. She's cool." He laughed, his chest rising and falling with every breath. "What?"

"'_She's cool?_' Should the future Princess of the Kingdom of Alexandria be saying something like that?" he asked playfully.

"Excuse me, but this is the most fun I'll ever have before I have to take the throne." She checked her watch. It was only eight. "Speaking of fun, maybe I should have gone to the game. I'd be able to make fun of Yuna about Tidus."

"Ah, heard that rumor. Well, the game isn't over yet. You should go."

"Probably."

The bell above the door rang. "YOU! Get your hands off of the Princess!" yelled Steiner. Garnet looked at her bodyguard. She noticed how he was slightly swaying. Maybe he had more than one drink…

Zidane frowned. "I'm not even touching her," he said.

Garnet resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Steiner…shut up. Come on, we're going to the game."

(-- --)

It was a quiet Saturday morning. It was no later than nine in the morning. Sunlight poured through the windows and the birds could be heard chirping outside. The common room of the dorm was a complete mess. It was no surprise. The Academy Paladins won their game last night. It was a great start to the beginning of the season. Everyone partied last night after the game. After staying up so late, everyone was asleep now. But everyone would probably be up around twelve in time for lunch.

Aeris rubbed her eyes. She brushed several of the plastic cups from the couch and sat down. She hoped he would come down to talk to her. He was probably just as tired as she was. She wouldn't have been surprised if he decided to ignore her. Not just because he was tired, but because he probably _really_ hated her now. She heard a pair of footsteps sluggishly dragging down the stairs. Oh, good, it was him.

Cloud blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. He groaned when he walked through a mess of plastic cups and toilet paper. His hair was a mess and he was still in his pajamas.

"You have guts," he growled, "to wake me up this early."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"What do you want?"

He collapsed onto the couch next to her and yawned.

"I just wanted to apologize for everything lately," said Aeris. "Leading you on for two years, going behind your back with Zack…"

"…It probably wouldn't have hurt so much if you told me sooner. Without the cheating, without the lying. There would have been less _goddamn_ drama."

She nodded slowly. "Yeah. I'm sorry. I'm an awful person."

"You're not _awful_. You're human, Aeris. People make mistakes."

She gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm still really sorry." She noticed how heavy lidded he was and added, "And I'm sorry for waking you up to tell you I'm sorry."

"Hm."

"By the way…"

"Hm?"

"Can you stop trying to kill my boyfriend?"

"I can't make any guarantees. Sometimes accidents just happen--"

"Cloud!" she warned.

"I can't make any guarantees," he repeated. He shrugged.

She rolled her eyes and got up from the couch. She began heading towards the stairs. "I'm going back to bed." She stopped and then looked back for a moment. "Hey, who are you going to ask to Homecoming?"

"What's it to you?"

"You should ask Tifa."

"Why?"

She frowned slightly. "I finally realized the reason why I agreed to go out with you two years ago. True, I did like you, but I was jealous. Jealous of you and her. You and Tifa must have some kind of strong connection, a tie that others can't penetrate. I guess I was just trying to smash that."

She nodded and headed upstairs.

(-- --)

Rinoa stared at the bright lights of Treno with awe. "Wow! I like this place already!"

"If you're not careful, you'll get lost," joked Irvine.

"I kinda want to…"

"Come on, Rinoa! Let's go to the soda joint!" said Selphie. Taking her friend by the hand, she led the way through the streets. Irvine, Zell, and Squall followed after them.

"Soda joint?"

"It's a hangout for Academy students."

"Tough luck, Rinoa. They only serve non-alcoholic drinks," joked Irvine.

The girl laughed and shot back, "Oh no! I'm so disappointed!"

The group entered the bar. There were many students already crowding the place. Almost all of the tables were filled up, but Squall and Zell managed to squeeze through to grab one. Selphie and Irvine steered Rinoa towards the bar.

"Hey, Ward! The usual for us SeeDs!" yelled Irvine over the noise. "And get our friend here a melon soda!"

The big man behind the bar grunted and set off to work.

"That's Ward Zabac. He lost his voice a long time ago, but he's pretty cool. Squall says he was an old friend of his dad's," explained Selphie. In a few minutes, Ward placed all of the sodas on the counter in front of them. They took them back to the table Squall and Zell had saved. Arriving there, they found Squall reading a newspaper.

Rinoa looked around the bar. There were many tables and chairs pushed to the side of the room. There was a jukebox at the end of the room and a wide open space in the center where kids could dance to the music. There were several pool tables, dartboards, and pinball machines littered all over the room.

"Come on, Squally!" drawled Selphie. "Put down the newspaper and enjoy yourself!"

He looked over the paper to glare at Selphie. "Don't _ever_ call me that again."

"Right." She and Rinoa started giggling as Squall resumed reading the paper.

"Selphie, let's go dance," said Irvine. He pulled his girlfriend out of her seat and to the dance floor.

Rinoa glanced at Squall. "Why even bother coming here if you're not even going to have fun?" she asked.

"I wanted a soda."

"You can get sodas back at the dorm."

He looked up from his newspaper. He raised an eyebrow. "Does this conversation have a point?"

"Not everything has to have a point," she replied matter-of-factly. She grinned at him.

Squally folded up the newspaper and threw it onto the table. He got up, leaving his soda untouched.

"And where are you going?"

"Away." He stalked off.

"…well, that was rude."

"I think you're the only one who has been able to get to him like that," said Zell.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Good thing. Trust me, I think you're the only one who can make Squall stop being so antisocial." Zell rolled his eyes and laughed. "Come on. Let's go play some pinball now!"

(-- --)

They ran, the sound of their footsteps heavy on the pavement. Blood pounded in their ears.

"Dammit! I hope it didn't leave!" yelled Selphie.

She, Irvine, Rinoa, Zell, and Squall sharply rounded the corner and towards the train station. They quickly jumped past the gates to the platform.

The train wasn't there.

"Where's the train?!" asked Zell.

"You mean the train to the Academy?" asked a passerby. "It just left."

Selphie's eyes became wide, her mouth falling open. "Dammit! Dammit! _Dammit!_ The Deans will kill us if we're not there for roll call!"

Taking in several breaths, Rinoa said, "What do we do now?"

"We have to head back to the Academy on foot," said Squall. "Let's go."

"In an hour?!"

"It's possible."

They began running again, Squall leading the group. They weaved through the streets of people and into an alley. Rinoa watched as Squall began climbing a ladder on the side of the building. She followed after her friends. They were on the roof now, and she realized what they were going to do. There were planks that connected each building. She just hoped that they wouldn't give out.

They followed Squall again over the planks of wood. Rinoa understood. It would take too long for them to run through the streets and the crowd of people. There was no traffic on the roofs, and it was considerably faster. They stopped on the roof closest to the gate. They climbed the ladder and jumped the gate. They were finally out of the city.

Rinoa collapsed onto the ground, her lungs aching. She had never run so much in her life. Her cheeks were flushed a bright red, and she was beginning to feel a little light-headed. Sure, she was fit, but she had never done anything as strenuous as this. And with the pressure for time just made everything worse.

"I can't make it!" she wailed. "I don't care! I'll take the Deans punishment whatever it is!"

"Don't say that! The Academy is just five miles away. It won't take that long!" said Zell.

She glared at her friends. They were all panting, but their breaths were more controlled and their faces weren't as flushed.

"It shouldn't be a problem for you! _You_ guys are SeeD! I'm not used to this!"

"We're wasting time!" yelled Selphie. "Squall, help Rinoa."

"Why should I help her?" He noticed some kind of spark behind her indignant glare. He groaned and crouched forward. "Come on, I'll carry you."

Selphie, Irvine, and Zell started running towards the Academy. Rinoa got up slowly. Her legs were shaking as she climbed onto Squall's back. "I'm sorry," she whispered in his ear.

He began running after his friends. She held onto him tightly so she didn't slip off. Squall proved to be a better runner than the others. Though he was carrying her, he easily caught up to them, moving to the front of the group again.

By the time they arrived at the door of the dorm, they had only five minutes left. Rinoa slid off of Squall's back. She was feeling much better now. Selphie grasped the knob, but it wouldn't budge.

"They locked it early!" she hissed.

"Secret passage," ordered Squall.

Rinoa hadn't been at the Academy long enough to know its secrets so she just followed her friends. They ran to the classroom building. They slid a window open and clambered in. Irvine closed it shut. Though it was dark, Rinoa recognized a few of the surroundings to be to be the Mechanics classroom. The five of them opened the classroom door and went across the hall to the basement, their footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. The basement was illuminated by a row of lights on the wall.

She noticed how only one light wasn't on. Squall switched it on and the wall next to the lights slid open to reveal a passage. When they entered, the wall moved back in place to seal the entrance. It was a straightforward path from there. At the end of the passage, Irvine pushed an odd brick into the wall to make another entryway spring forward. Rinoa realized they were in the dorm's basement now. They climbed the stairs and into the common room. All students were in here. Dean Sephiroth and Dean Kefka were holding clipboards, calling off the names of the students by room numbers.

"Room 437, Selphie Tilmitt and Rinoa Heartilly," called Kefka.

"Here!"

"Here!"

The girls looked at each other. They had made it just in time. They moved past other students to climb the stairs to their floor. They stood outside of their room, waiting for the three boys.

"Room 453, Irvine Kinneas and Zell Dincht."

"Here!"

"Here!"

They both went upstairs.

"Room 479, Cloud Strife and Squall Leonhart."

"Here."

"Here…"

Cloud raised an eyebrow when he saw Selphie, Rinoa, Irvine, and Zell slumped against the wall. He glanced at Squall before saying, "You guys look like you've been to hell and back."

"The trip only took about an hour," joked Irvine.

"Must have been some trip."

Rinoa gave him a weak smile. "You have no idea."

(-- --)

"You should probably go back to your own room now," said Rikku. She was in her pajamas and cozy under the covers of her bed. She had stacked two pillows on top of each other so she could lean on them as she read her book. Gippal was sitting on the floor against her bed, looking at a dirty magazine. "You have no reason to be in my room."

He looked up from his magazine to look up at Rikku. He raised an eyebrow and smirked. She didn't notice. She was still reading her book.

"What? Can't I enjoy your company?"

"Did you dump the last girl you were dating?" she asked suddenly, not looking up from her book. "Is that why she's pissed and stalking the outside of your room while your in mine?"

"Oh, you don't know how much I enjoy these little chats of ours."

"Me too."

Silence fell between them. Gippal turned back to his magazine. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He felt particularly daring today for some reason. He held up a page to her and asked, "What do you think of her?"

Rikku reluctantly tore her eyes away from her book to stare at the naked lady on the page. "Ugly," she said. "She's completely out of proportion. Size isn't everything, you know."

He chuckled. She turned back to her book.

"Why _are_ you here? You have your own room."

"…It feels weird if I go back to my room without a girl." He smirked at her.

"If you're thinking about taking me back to your room, I'm going to maim you," Rikku answered without looking up. "And if you touch me, I'll just kill you instead."

He kneeled at her beside, trying to see her eyes. "What's wrong with you?"

She sighed and closed her book. She looked at him. He could see the irritation flicking wildly in her eyes. "Gippal, I'm _tired_. I spent Friday answering questions about the fire. Then I spent time at the game and then partying. I wake up around twelve only to be asked more questions about the stupid fire. Then I go to Treno to go shopping and party at the soda joint. It's now," she checked the clock, "almost two-thirty in the morning. I really want to go to sleep, but I can't because I have to humor you because you're in my room."

"I forgot you get cranky when you're tired," he murmured with amusement.

Rikku set her book down on her side table. She picked up one of her pillows and threw it on the floor. The lamp went out with a pull to the cord. She slipped further under the sheets, pulling the covers over her head. He knew it was a signal to leave, but he didn't. He really wanted to stay and lie down on that bed with her. Though if he did do that, he'd probably lose control of his senses, and they _definitely_ wouldn't be sleeping.

"Can I sleep here tonight?" he asked.

"No."

"Why not? We used to have sleepovers all the time when we were kids."

"Things complicate when you get older."

Things were always complicated between them. They just seemed more apparent as they got older. When they were kids, they didn't have to worry about falling in love. They only had to worry about seeing other and why her father and brother always tried to keep them apart. When they got older, they had to deal with her being sent away to the Academy. He had to deal with the realization that he couldn't live without her. Now he had to deal with the fact that he was completely in love with her and she probably didn't feel the same way. And there was the complication that he was a complete flirt, but only because he felt like he couldn't have her. Each time only got worse, and he couldn't stop.

He loitered, debating whether or not he wanted to prod her with more questions. He opened the door instead.

"Night, Cid's girl."

"Night, Gippal."

He shut the door behind him.

(-- --)

He spotted her lying on the couch in the commons. Her eyes were closed and he noticed how her fingers were fiddling with the hem of her shirt. She wasn't completely asleep yet. He slid a hand under both of her ankles and lifted up her feet. Her eyes snapped open.

"Ow, ow, ow!" she yelled. "What're you doing?" Her legs were so sore from the previous night's run against the clock. She could feel the pain shooting up and down her body whenever she moved her muscles. She mentally made a note to herself to leave the soda joint at LEAST an hour before the final train would leave. Even half an hour seemed to be pushing it.

"Other people want to sit on the couch, too." Squall sat down on the couch, letting her feet rest on his lap. Rinoa shut her eyes again and groaned. "What're you doing out here? If you want to take a nap, go sleep in your own room."

"Selphie and Irvine are…_busy_."

"It's four in the afternoon."

"Tell that to them." Rinoa cracked open an eye. "Did you ever have this problem with your roommate?"

Squall let out a cross between a snort and a laugh. "Never when Cloud and Aeris were going out."

"How come you're out here?" she asked.

"I wanted to be out here."

Rinoa shut her eyes and smiled. She wondered if his straightforward answers were just code for "I want to spend time with you." Her head slightly fell to the side. He listened to her breath slowly even out. Her fingers lay motionless on her stomach. Traces of her smile were still painted on her lips. He cradled his head in the palm of his hand, his elbow propping up his arm against the armchair. He closed his eyes.

They must have looked odd the way they were asleep on the couch. But they were far too comfortable for it to matter.

* * *

I got the idea of a soda bar from the Shin-Sekai Soda Joint from Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner - Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army. I really liked it and how it was so classy. I imagined that it would be used for drinks, quiet conversation, and such. I decided to make the soda bar in the story more of a hangout place for students so that's why there are pinball machines, pool tables, jukeboxes, etc.

The secret passage that connects the school and the dorm is a reference to the secret passage from Suikoden II. In the game, when posing as students in Greenhill to find the acting mayor Theresa, the hero's group discover a secret passage in their dorm that leads to the school. I think they only use it once and that is when they are chasing the "ghost" of the school.

That's it for now. Thanks a bunch of reading!


	6. The Black and White Ball

(- -)

Chapter 6

The Black and White Ball

"Attention students!" barked Beatrix.

"I would like to offer my thanks to many of my visitors who wished me to get well soon. I am feeling much better now."

"You were only feeling ill because you were so pissed that someone had burnt down another part of the school," pointed out Kefka.

"Shut up! In any case, it's the week you've all been waiting for! It's homecoming week! Congratulations to the senior girls for winning their powderpuff game! What a great way to kick off our homecoming week!"

"The juniors should have won. Everyone knows that the girls' powderpuff games are rigged in favor of the seniors," sneered Kefka.

"Be _quiet_! Remember kids, our theme this year is "Monochrome Fantasy!" Dress up to the themes during the week to show off your school spirit!"

"You kids better enjoy this week!" called out Edgar from the hallway. "It's one of the few times you don't have to wear your uniform!"

Beatrix ignored him and continued on. "Today is our Classic Movie Day! I was very pleased to see many students dressed up. I even saw a few dressed up as my favorite characters from those old movies I watched as a kid. Tomorrow is our Myth and Legend Day. Wednesday is Comic Book Day. Thursday is our Good vs. Evil Day, and Friday is the day of our pep rally and Extreme Black and White Day."

"Ugh, I really hate this junk. It makes me want to cut off someone's arm or limb…" said Sephiroth.

"Sephiroth, life isn't about cutting off human appendages," remarked Edgar.

"My life is."

Miss Principal rolled her eyes and sighed. "My staff is completely mental. So continuing on, the homecoming dance will be on Saturday. Remember, it is a black and white ball, so you can only wear black and white. Wear any other color and you'll be the laughing stock of the school. Tickets are on sale now. They are 4000 gil for couples and 2000 for singles. If you don't manage to pay before the dance then-"

"You're shit out of luck! Gyehehehehehehehe!" concluded Kefka.

"…I won't deny that. At the door, the tickets are 5000 gil for couples and 3000 for singles. Homecoming King and Queen nominations will take place today during the seniors' fourth period. That's it for your announcements. Have a great day students."

CLICK.

(- -)

Selphie slammed her books onto the table making her best friend jump up in surprise. Rinoa could see the wild look in her eyes as she glared at her.

"W-what?"

Selphie sat down on her chair. "Is it true you're going to homecoming with Seifer?" Her friend nodded. "_Why_? He's awful, Rinoa! He always has been! As far back as we could remember, he's bullied us."

"I _know_, but he asked me and I said yes. I think it would have been rude to say otherwise."

"No, it wouldn't! You should have gone with Squall."

"I would rather go with Squall than Seifer, but I doubt he's going anyway!"

"I'll MAKE him go!"

Rinoa rolled her eyes. "Selphie, you can't make Squall do anything he doesn't want to do."

Selphie's eyes brightened and she quirked an eyebrow. "Just watch me. And in the meantime, watch out for Seifer. You'll be making a huge mistake going with him. Every girl who has ever been his date has walked out on him."

(- -)

"_Heeeey_, Tidus…"

"Oh, boy…"

"Sooooo, when are you going to ask my cousin to homecoming?"

Rikku climbed the tree, sitting on a thick branch, her legs swinging from the ledge. Tidus looked down at the girl from his own branch.

"What makes you think I'll ask her?"

She glared up at him. "Only the fact that everyone knows you've had eyes for her since the first day of school."

He couldn't really deny it. There were plenty of pretty girls in the Academy, but he liked her best. All of the girls were neat, presentable, and good-mannered. The only thing that set them apart were their separate quirks.

Selphie was known to be a little childish but always full of surprises. Rinoa was spirited and compassionate. Tifa was independent, though it seemed like she often sacrificed her own happiness for others'. Aeris was cheerful and upbeat. Yuffie was a little obnoxious and showed signs of being a pyromaniac. Elena was clumsy, but she had a fierce determination to beat her older sister. Rydia was definitely mature, but she was rather cheeky with her words. Fujin…well, her manner of speaking is enough to say. Princess Garnet was smart and was able to blend in with the world probably due to the influence of the Academy. Paine was unlike other girls at the Academy – she was quiet, cynical, and sarcastic. Lulu was smart, but her attitude was like ice. Lenne was sweet and she had a wonderful voice to boot. Leblanc was arrogant and presumed to be on the promiscuous side, but her dedication to Nooj quickly silenced that presumption. Rikku was like an enhanced version of Selphie's personality.

And then there was _her_. Rikku's cousin. Wakka and Lulu's childhood friend. Their "little sister." She was just incredibly kind, loyal to her friends, and polite to everyone. She had a determination that almost rivaled Elena's. And while he had heard people say that she was a simple beauty, he thought she was gorgeous.

Rikku tilted her head up to see Tidus grin at the mere thought of her cousin. He _reeeeeally_ liked her.

"Soon," he said.

"How're you gonna ask her?"

Tidus's grin grew wider. He pretended to hesitate before asking, "Hey, Rikku, you have office aid fifth period, right?"

She cocked her head to the side a little. "Yeah. Why?"

"Can you deliver something for me? And make sure you don't open it." Still confused, she nodded. Tidus opened up his backpack and took out a shoe box. A black and white ribbon was tied around it. A card was stuck under the ribbon. "Remember. Don't open it. Bring it to Professor Celes's fifth period class."

Rikku shook it a little. It was a light, dull sound. It sounded like there was a lot of whatever in the box, but it wasn't completely packed. "What's in it?" she asked.

Tidus winked at her. "Well, you'll find out when you bring it to her for fifth period!"

She groaned. "Oh, poopie! The suspense will kill me!"

"Yeah, yeah." Tidus zipped up his backpack. "Hoping Gippal will ask you to homecoming?" He watched Rikku's cheeks flush a little. He hadn't even known both too long, and only after spending five minutes with both of them together, he knew that Rikku was in love with Gippal.

"No. I don't get my hopes up like that," she said lazily. "Besides, he already asked some freshman chick a couple weeks ago."

"Disappointed?"

"No," she lied.

Tidus and Rikku stared each other down. She was probably lying. Whenever she denied her feelings for Gippal, she was most definitely lying. But sometimes it was hard to tell. Rikku could be a very good liar whenever she wanted. She couldn't lie if it was a joke, but if it was a more serious matter, she could lie right through her teeth and not get caught.

"Trying to figure out if I'm lying?" she asked with a small smile.

"Yeah."

"Verdict?"

"You're lying."

She shrugged and jumped down from the tree. "Come on. Let's go. Lunch is almost over."

(- -)

"I know this may seem a lot to process, but it isn't so bad," lectured Celes. "Just make sure to memorize these derivatives of these trigonometric functions. As a heads up, I may put this on your next quiz! But it definitely will be on your test!"

The classroom door opened and Rikku walked in. She held the shoebox under her arm and a few passes in her hand. She caught Tidus's eye as she went up to the front of the room to Professor Celes. She handed her the passes.

Quickly glancing at the names, she called out, "Zell. Rude. Take these. Go when it asks." Her two students got up to take the passes from her hand. They sat down in their seats.

"Professor Celes, there's something else," whispered Rikku. She held up the box.

"What's this for?" Rikku showed her the card on the box. The Professor sighed. "Oh, fine, go hand it to her."

Rikku caught Tidus's eye again as she walked along the side of the classroom towards Yuna's desk. Professor Celes didn't resume her lecture. She moved to her podium, watching her students carefully.

"Hey, Rikku, meaning to ask you…" said Reno as the girl passed his desk. "Want to go to homecoming with me?"

The girl grinned and chuckled. "Yeah, sure, I'd love to."

Tidus raised an eyebrow. For someone who was in love with her best friend, she was sure quick to accept to be the date for another guy. Gippal and Rikku seemed to keep a distance though their feelings were obvious.

She stopped at her cousin's desk and handed her the shoe box. Everyone in the class turned to watch Yuna take it into her hands with wide eyes. She frowned, a little confused. Rikku stepped back to the side so she could let others watch. "Open it," she mouthed. Yuna slipped the card out from under the ribbons. It read:

"_The day pigs fly is the day I get the courage to ask you to the Black and White Ball._"

There was no name. She chuckled and smiled. Yuna undid the ribbons and opened the cover. Small, pink balloons began floating out of the box. There was a pig drawn on each of the balloons. Her classmates gasped and laughed as the "flying pigs" traveled up to the ceiling. Even Professor Celes cracked a smile. Yuna giggled excitedly as she watched the balloons. She peered into the empty box and found another note inside. This one read:

"_Go to homecoming with me?_

_-Tidus"_

Yuna looked up at Tidus. She blushed, and she didn't care who saw. She smiled happily at him. "I'd love to go to Homecoming with you!" she yelled across the room. Her classmates cheered and rooted for the pair. Tidus got up to give an embarrassed, yet flattered Yuna a hug.

Professor Celes allowed the cheering to continue for a minute before getting back down to business. "All right, all right, settle down everyone. Tidus, back to your seat. Rikku, get out and get back to work."

She returned to the board to continue with her lesson.

(- -)

It didn't take long for the story about Yuna getting asked to homecoming to circulate the school. It wasn't long until other guys were following suit.

Zack had managed to get the school paper to publish an article on how amazing his girlfriend was. It concluded with him asking her to the dance.

Irvine left an arrow on Selphie's desk during her sixth period with a note attached saying, "Do I get a shot of being your date for the Black and White Ball?"

While everyone was in the hall between class, Shuyin poured a bucket full of Hershey's Kisses on his girlfriend and asked her, "Now that I've kissed you from head to toe, will you go to homecoming with me?"

Due to much prodding from Baralai, Nooj left Leblanc a small jewelry box. Inside was a ticket to the dance and a note saying that he had the other ticket.

Due to much prodding from Nooj, Baralai left a bowl of goldfish crackers in Paine's room along with a note saying, "Out of all the fish in the sea, I want you to go with me to homecoming." Though she was embarrassed, she accepted her ex-boyfriend's offer.

When Lulu returned to her room at the dorm, she found a trail of Hershey's kisses on the floor leading into the bathroom. She found roses inside the bathtub and a note from Wakka saying, "Now that I've kissed the ground you walk on and showered you with roses, will you go to homecoming with me?"

Garnet walked into her first period to find a cardboard castle on her desk. With "Princess Garnet" written on it, she found a note next to it reading, "I heard you need a prince for the night. I would love to be your Prince Charming for the Black and White Ball." Much to Steiner's displeasure, it was from Zidane.

(- -)

Selphie walked into the dorm, her head looking in both directions. She found him sitting on the window sill reading a book. She marched up to him and snatched the book from his hands. "Ask Rinoa to homecoming," she ordered. "Ask her."

Squall shot her a dirty look. "Give me my book."

"Ask her to homecoming," she repeated.

"I'm not going to homecoming. And isn't she already going with Seifer?" He moved to take back his book. Selphie stepped back, keeping it behind her back.

"Ask her and she will dump him for you."

"Give me my book."

"You're going to that dance," she said fiercely.

Irritated, Squall stood up. He glowered, towering over her. Though she was scared of the anger in his eyes, she refused to give in. "You're not going to make me do _shit_."

"I'll pay you to go."

"So I can stand around and do nothing for several hours?"

Selphie scoffed. "You're such a downer. Why don't you have fun for once?"

"My idea of fun doesn't include leaning against the wall with nothing to do."

"This is where you ask a girl to dance. I know you can, Squall. It was a requirement for SeeD training."

"I hate dancing."

"Stubborn ass! Can't you sacrifice your pride for one night?"

Squall grabbed his book from behind Selphie and trudged off in the direction of the stairs. When he was gone, Selphie stomped her foot in frustration. This wasn't over yet.

(- -)

Tifa hummed "Real Emotion" as she walked past the windows of shops. She stopped a few times to stare into the shops.

"Stop singing that song," ordered Cloud as he walked beside her. "It's annoying."

Tifa grinned mischievously and began humming the song a little louder. She started dancing a little as she walked on. Her best friend groaned and proceeded to glare at her. Tifa leaned in close to Cloud, her lips hovering near his ear. "I can't hear you," she whispered before drawing away and resuming her little dance down the street.

"_Why_ do you have to sing that song?" complained Cloud. It wasn't a bad song at all. But just listening it so many times got annoying. That happened rather quickly when "Real Emotion" first came out. It was catchy and _all_ of the girls at the Academy were singing and dancing to it. He had gotten so irritated with the song, he was close to asking the Turks to punish anyone who dared to _utter_ the lyrics.

"I can't help it. The song is part of the squad's routine for Friday's pep rally." She saw the displeasure written all over Cloud's face. Laughing, she gave him a hug. "Don't worry, you'll get through it. It's not like it's a matter of life and death."

"What about my sanity?"

"Okay, a tad bit more serious. But you'll live."

Letting go, she turned and saw Zack and Aeris just down the street. They were affectionate with each other, holding hands and occasional pecks. When Cloud and Aeris were still dating, all they did was hold hands in public. They were incredibly private about their relationship. Tifa could remember that Aeris would always say, "You don't kiss and tell."

"How are you and her doing?" asked Tifa. Cloud looked in the direction she was looking in.

"Better since she apologized to me."

"Still upset?"

"Stings still."

"Have you stopped the murder attempts?"

"Sometimes I slip."

Tifa shook her head and sighed. "You know, you shouldn't put too much blame on Zack. The whole affair thing was his and Aeris's fault. You already settled things with Aeris. You should settle things with Zack as well. And not with his death," she added hastily.

Cloud pulled Tifa in a side hug. "Jesus, you are always the voice of reason."

"It keeps people from doing something stupid." She laughed. As they passed by a store, her eye caught something in the window. "Ooh, wait here!" She slid out from his arm and into the store.

He looked at the store name. "You don't need any more shoes, Tifa!"

"Not hearing you right now!" she called from inside.

He chuckled to himself. He sat on a bench outside the store, waiting for Tifa. She certainly had a love for shoes, whether they were sneakers for cheerleading, boots for her martial arts training, or something for everyday use.

Cloud looked around the shopping plaza. Among many of the aristocrats, there were many Academy students around. The shopping was no doubt for homecoming. The shop keepers loved special occasions and special events going on at the Academy. It brought in even more money.

As he looked around, he spotted Aeris and Zack by a flower vendor. He caught her eye as Zack was buying a bouquet of pink roses. She pointed at the store Tifa was in and mouthed, "Ask her to homecoming." He watched her turn away to carry the roses and slip her hand into Zack's.

Aeris had said that he and Tifa had a bond that no one else could pierce. To be honest, he didn't really get it at all. Sure, they had a bond, but that was normal for childhood friends. They understood each other the best. They grew up together. They were always together. They were sent to the Academy at the same time. They couldn't lie; they saw right through each other. Their time together felt completely natural. Was this the bond she was talking about?

But then what about Aeris saying that she was trying to smash the relationship he and Tifa had? He didn't get that either. Aeris and Tifa were best friends. And when he and Aeris were dating, it didn't seem like Aeris was jealous or trying to push Tifa out of the picture.

Without realizing it, he got up from the bench and walked over to the flower vendor. He bought a single rose and returned to the bench.

Tifa returned outside empty handed. "All right, I'm done," she said. "They didn't have anything I liked."

Cloud stuck out the rose. "Go to homecoming with me." It wasn't a question. It sounded more like an order.

She gazed between the rose and Cloud's face. He was frowning slightly as if he didn't know what he was doing. She felt her stomach do a few somersaults. "O-okay…" She gingerly took the rose from his hand.

For the first time ever, everything suddenly felt awkward between them.

(- -)

"I wish homecoming wasn't a Black and White Ball," said Rikku. "It's a…_waste of colors_."

Paine sat down on one of the chairs outside of the dressing rooms. "You'll get over it."

"That's mean to say!"

Paine rolled her eyes. "Just think of it this way. The moment you start dancing, you'll add color to the room."

Emerging from one of the stalls, Yuna did a twirl in front of the mirrors. With a small laugh, she said, "That's so deep, Paine."

She rolled her eyes again and dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand. Rikku and Paine looked over to see the dress Yuna was wearing. It was sleeveless chiffon, cocktail dress. It was a black dress with a white lace around the bodice.

"Yunie! You look so pretty in that dress!" exclaimed Rikku. She clapped her hands together with delight. "You should get it!"

"Very old-fashioned," said Paine. "But I think it suits you."

"I really do like this dress," said Yuna with a smile. "I think I will get it." With a nod, she went back into the dressing room to get changed.

"What about you, Rikku?" asked Paine. "Aren't you going to buy a dress?"

"Bought mine yesterday. What about you? Is Baralai making you wear one to the dance?"

"He wants me to." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and sigh. "I doubt I will though."

"I think you should," chirped Yuna. She came out of the dressing room wearing her normal clothes and the dress in her hand. She walked over to the cash register to pay for it. "If you did, I think people wouldn't know what to think."

"Baralai says that I should wear a dress because it is his last homecoming ever."

Rikku giggled. "He actually played that card? A little soon, don'tcha think?"

"That's what I thought, too. I figured that we're going to prom together as well. He can wait until then to see me in a dress."

"Well, well, hello ladies." All three heads turned to the entrance to see Gippal leaning against the doorway. "And Dr. P."

Paine flipped him off.

"Dress shopping?"

Paine gave him a sarcastic smile. "We were just leaving." As soon as Yuna clasped onto the shopping bag, Paine began rushing her and Rikku towards the door and past Gippal. But as they passed by, he grabbed Rikku by the upper arm.

"Actually, I want to talk to you, Rikku," he said.

Rikku looked at her friends. Yuna gave her an apologetic look and said, "We'll wait for you down the street." She and Paine left. Rikku looked at Gippal. His careless smile faded. He scowled, flames of fury flickering in his eye.

"What?"

"So I heard from a little birdie that you're going to homecoming with Reno."

She frowned, looking at him with bemused eyes. "Okay." She tried moving her arm away from his hold, but he kept a firm grip on it.

"'Okay?' Is that all you have to say?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"Why are you going to homecoming with Reno?"

"Well, I didn't have a date at first. He asked me, and I said yes."

Their gaze held, their emerald eyes burning into each other. Hers contained confusion. His looked like anger and something else she couldn't figure out. The grip on her arm grew stronger. Rikku grabbed his hand, trying to pull it off of her.

"Gippal, you're _hurting_ me!"

He let go, the anger still brimming in his eyes. He loomed over her, his face still serious. "Nevermind…" he muttered.

"Gippal?"

"Nevermind!" he snapped. He stomped off down the street, disappearing in the crowd.

What was that all about?

(- -)

Paine slammed her fists onto the table. Glaring at Gippal across the table she coldly said, "What did you say to her?"

"Why should it matter?"

"She's up in her room, crying. She-"

Giving Gippal a incredulous look, Baralai said, "You made Rikku _cry_? What is _wrong_ with you?"

"Baralai," warned Paine. He shut his mouth and motioned her to continue. "She doesn't know what she did to make you so mad! Now what did you say to her?"

Glaring back at Paine, Gippal grimly replied with, "I only asked her why she was going to homecoming with Reno."

"Let me guess," said Nooj from beside Gippal. "You ended up hurting her because you got angry and jealous."

He nodded. "I was going to ask her and then I had to hear that she was already going with someone else!"

Paine sighed angrily. "You're a _fucking_ idiot."

His eyes snapped up to hers. "What?"

"If you weren't so busy chasing other girls, then maybe there wouldn't be rumors about you."

"_What_ rumors?"

"There was one how you already asked some sophomore to the ball," said Nooj.

"I thought it was a freshman," said Baralai.

"Exactly my point."

Gippal looked at all three of his friends. He frowned. "Did I miss something?"

"Did you?" asked Baralai.

Why should Rikku care if there were rumors about him? Even when there were rumors, only she knew which were real and which were fake. And even if there were rumors, why should she care in the first place?

Gippal ran a hand through his hair, gently tugging the blonde locks. "I don't get it."

His friends hung their heads in defeat.

"I can't do this," said Paine. "I'm not going to hold your hand through this." She got up and left.

"W-what the hell? I really don't get any of this!"

"Gippal," said Nooj, "listen up because I'm only going to say this once." He took a deep breath. "Rikku wanted to go the homecoming with you, but then she heard the rumor that you already asked another girl to homecoming. With that mind she said yes when Reno asked her. When you heard that she was going to homecoming with someone else, you got pissed and jealous because you actually didn't ask anyone to homecoming, and you were planning on asking her. You ended up hurting Rikku and now she is in her room crying because she doesn't know what she did to make you upset. It really isn't her fault that she's in love with you and just as dense, but that's beside the point. The point is that because you think that you can't have her, you chase after any pretty girl, which basically makes Rikku go after some guy because she thinks she can't have you."

Gippal blinked a few times. "You lost me…"

Nooj glared at him, making a fist. "I want to punch to you."

Baralai clapped a hand on Gippal's shoulder. "Paine may not want to hold your hand through this, but I guess we can help a little. After that, you're on your own. First thing is first. Go apologize to Rikku for making her cry. She did nothing wrong."

"But she-!"

He slapped Gippal across the head. "If you think about it, all fault rests with you."

"How?"

"I won't repeat myself," said Nooj.

Gippal glanced between Nooj and Baralai.

They snapped their fingers and pointed at the stairs.

(- -)

She hugged the stuffed monkey doll closer to her chest. He was mad at her and she didn't even know what she did wrong. It was _Gippal_ and he rarely got angry. But whenever he did, he was scary.

She had pushed his buttons far enough to reach frustration or displeasure. He got annoyed whenever she swiped a few of his belongings, but never mad. He got irritated when she purposely distracted him when he was supposed to finish a project, write a long essay, or study for a big test, but he never got mad.

He had only gotten mad at her once before. The look on his face terrified her. After that, she never wanted to push him that far again. She was eight. He was nine. She stole one of his most prized possessions. It was the most recent picture of his family just before his mother died. They all were smiling in the photo. It was the last of the evidence of a complete family: a mother, a father, and their five sons, Gippal being the youngest.

He found out what she had done. He chased after her, desperate to get it back from her hands. She was only teasing him. She was going to give it back later. But then he tackled her to the floor. The photo slipped from her fingers. They watched it float into the fireplace. The flames were faster than they were. It was a pile of ash in a matter of seconds.

Gippal was _furious_. His anger took over his senses. He turned on her. He would have strangled her if his father and Cid didn't pull them apart. He screamed and cursed at her. In that moment, he hated her so much. It was an accident and it was her fault. She knew it. She felt absolutely horrible about the whole thing. He ignored her for days no matter how many times she apologized.

Many of the kids of Home spent time at the nearest oasis. She was always so daring. She climbed the rocks overlooking the water. She wanted to dive into the water from such a height. Brother and Buddy tried to dissuade her. With one false step, she slipped into the water below. The next thing she knew, she was on the shore, Gippal hovering above her. The anger was gone from his eye. It was replaced with fear. With the way he hugged her, she knew they were friends again.

She was startled by a knock on her door. She ignored it. She turned over onto her side, holding the stuffed animal closer.

"Rikku?" It was Gippal. She didn't move.

She heard doorknob jiggle. She knew he was picking the lock now. He always did that whenever she wouldn't open the door for him. He was always able to pick the lock on her door no matter how many times she changed them.

She closed her eyes, hoping he would leave if he thought she was asleep. She heard the door open and close. She really didn't want him to see her right now. She was a mess right now. Her hair was disheveled, her makeup was smeared off, and her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying. He sat down on her bed.

"Rikku?" he called. He touched her shoulder gently. "Hey, kid, stop faking sleep."

She rolled over to glare at him. He chuckled, and she sat up on her bed.

"I came in here to apologize to you."

"For what?"

"For making you cry. For getting angry at you."

"What did I do to make you angry?"

"Nothing." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. "Baralai and Nooj beat some sense into me. I realized that everything is my fault. So, friends again?"

Rikku smiled softly, resting her head on his shoulder. "We've always been friends, silly."

"Good to know…"

(- -)

The blitzball stadium was packed. Many were students of the Academy. Others were parents and alumni. Few were supporters of the opposite team. Everyone was sporting the Academy's school colors. Seniors in the crowd were displaying paper crowns to show off their "royalty." The air was starting to get chilly so many were wrapped up in thick sweaters or blankets.

The Paladins had won all of their games so far. There was an air of excitement flooding over the crowd. With this string of victories, they were sure to win the championship this year.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Put your hands together for the one and only…Alexandria Academy Paladins!"

A huge roar of cheers and screams erupted throughout the stadium. Professor Edward and the band struck up the school's theme song as the Academy's blitzball team stepped onto the edge of the field.

Shuyin was first, the team captain band around his left arm. Next were Tidus and Wakka, who strode up next to Shuyin, looking smug. Behind them were Zell, Paine, and Squall. The team huddled together, saying a few, quiet words before dispersing.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Put your hands together for the opposing team…the Wutai Samurais!"

Only a section of people in the stadium cheered. Few of the Paladin supporters clapped politely.

Both teams dove into the sphere of water, ready for the game to begin.

(- -)

Yuna grabbed onto Lulu's arm, a big grin plastered onto her face. "This is so exciting!" she exclaimed.

"It is," said Lulu. She reached up to readjust the crown on her head. "Wakka's been saying how they've been practicing so hard this year."

"Of course! We're undefeated right now!" added Rikku from the other side of the Yuna.

Gippal came down the stairs and slid into the seat next to Rikku. He handed her a serving of nachos.

"Sweeeet. Thanks a bunch!" said Rikku, flashing him a smile. She stopped for a moment, her smile fading. "Wait. You didn't get me a drink?" Gippal raised an eyebrow and glared at her. She laughed at his face and said, "I'm kidding."

"You better be," he growled.

"So how are the Wutai Samurais?" asked Yuna.

Rikku swallowed the food in her mouth. "Not bad. They have a pretty good offense and their defense is a little lacking. A little slow, too."

Gippal shook his head. "Can't beat us though. Tidus and Shuyin are beasts."

"No joke."

"They both did the Jecht Shot during the last game, didn't they?" asked Yuna.

"Ah, I asked Tidus about that. He said that Shuyin did the Jecht Shot. Tidus did the Jecht Shot II."

"What's the difference?" asked Gippal.

"Tidus puts his own spin to it."

"Well, then it should be called the 'Tidus Shot,'" giggled Yuna.

"Yes, Shuyin and Tidus are good players," interjected Lulu. "But I think the whole team is good."

Gippal nodded. "They're all beasts."

(- -)

They didn't hear the roar crowd when they entered the water. They were only focused on playing. Victory was up for grabs and the Paladins were going to be the ones to grasp it.

The ball shot off and Wakka grabbed it first. He passed the ball to Tidus who passed it to Paine. One of the players from the opposing team tried to block Paine, but she dodged and passed it to Shuyin. With the ball in hand, he threw it up and kicked it right into the goal.

The cheers were deafening. They drowned out Professor Edward's band and the cheers of the cheerleaders.

Tidus and Wakka floated backwards, slapping hands before getting back into position. The Samurais' goalkeeper threw the ball in. It was passed between them a couple times until one player threw it towards the goal. Zell caught it with ease and threw it to Paine. She had tried passing it to Tidus, but one of the Samurai players got a hand on it, and it fumbled. As soon as a player grabbed the loose ball, Squall tackled him and stole the ball. He threw the ball to Tidus only to have it intercepted by a Samurai player. Shuyin tackled the player viciously, tearing the ball away and scoring the second goal for the Paladins.

(- -)

As Yuna cheered with the rest of the stadium, she suddenly noticed a familiar figure. Without thinking she quickly yelled out, "Sir Jecht!"

The man turned around, spotting Yuna. He came up the steps. "Well, well, if it ain't little Yuna! How are you?"

"Good, good!"

"How's your dad?"

"He's well!" Yuna looked at the field and then back at Sir Jecht. "Here to watch your son and your nephew?"

"Yeah. But seeing them, they still have a long way to go. Of course, I'm still the best!" He looked back at the field where Squall had survived a tackle to throw the ball to Wakka. "How's my son doing here? Are his grades any better?"

"They should be."

"Does he practice often?"

"He does," said Lulu.

"Made good friends?"

"Uh huh!" chipped in Rikku.

"Does he have a girlfriend now?"

No one heard that last question. The crowd was starting to get a rowdy again. Tidus had the ball now. Sir Jecht raised an eyebrow. He crossed his arms and watched his son break through a three-person defense. Tidus twisted his body around in the water and kicked the ball towards the goal. It cut through the water so swiftly, it was a mere blur to the human eye. It shot in the goal causing the whole stadium to erupt into a loud scream. As Tidus swam away from the goal, he spotted Yuna in the stands. He pointed at her and winked. Yuna's smile widened and she pointed back, her voice rising above the rest.

Sir Jecht glanced between Yuna and his son. "Hm." He gave a small nod. "I'll see you later, Yuna. Say hi to your father for me."

"W-wait!" yelled Yuna. "You're not going to stay? You'll be able to see Tidus after the game!"

"Nah, I'm fine. Say hi to my kid for me. And Shuyin. Tell them to eat more! They're skin and bones!"

Yuna laughed and gave a short bow. "I will, Sir Jecht! Bye!"

Upon reaching the entrance Jecht looked back at the field. Shuyin and Tidus had tackled a player together. Tidus had stolen the ball and he passed it to his cousin. Jecht turned away.

"Heh, not bad, son. Not bad…"

Jecht hated to admit it. Tidus had a lot going for him now. Crashing that airship was the catalyst of it all.

(- -)

The whole school partied that night. The Paladins had won seven to nothing. In the second half, the Wutai Samurais got incredibly aggressive trying to get the ball. Squall and Paine showed off to the whole school why they were on defense. Though both were incredibly reserved, they were unusually brutal in blitzball. Squall's tackles sent players flying into the wall of the sphere.

The common room was decorated with black and white streamers. There were mounds of plastic cups waiting to be filled with punch and soda. In the corner of the room were many coolers filled with ice. Bowls of food covered any available surface. Irvine quickly turned up the volume on the stereo.

They were going to party all night.

(- -)

There was a roar of cheers as the blitzball team entered the doors of the dorm. They quickly split up to party. Paine went to go sit down with Nooj, Baralai, Gippal, and Rikku. Zell was browsing through a mound of CDs while eating a hot dog. Shuyin found Lenne and they disappeared into the crowd. Squall had grabbed a soda and was sitting on the windowsill alone. Tidus and Wakka found Yuna and Lulu by the couches.

"Hey!" greeted Tidus as he approached both girls.

Lulu acknowledged him with a nod. Yuna threw her arms around him in a celebratory hug.

"You were great out there!" she exclaimed.

"Haha, thanks! I was happy to see you in the crowd."

Yuna withdrew from the hug, her cheeks slightly pink. "It made me happy that you acknowledged me at all."

"Just for you, gorgeous."

Lulu looked at Yuna and then Tidus. She rolled her eyes and held up her hands. She turned around to leave the couple alone. When Wakka didn't pick up on the message, she went back to grab his hand and drag him off.

"You know, I saw your dad during the game."

Tidus raised an eyebrow. "You know my old man?"

"He and my dad are friends. I met him once when he was visiting. I was a little kid then."

"What did he want?"

"Wanted to watch you and Shuyin play." Yuna looked up at the ceiling as she tried to recount Sir Jecht's words. "He says you both have a long way to go and he's still the best."

He scoffed. "Typical. He always says that."

"Then he asked about how you were at school, friends, practice…stuff like that." Yuna snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah! He left before the game was over. He said that you and Shuyin should eat more because you guys are 'skin and bones.'"

"Aw, man! He can't leave that alone, can he?" Tidus frowned. "He always picked on us for being 'too skinny.' I think we're fine. Do you think we're fine?"

Yuna smiled, unable to contain her amusement with the double meaning of the statement. She nodded nonetheless. She had no interest in Shuyin. The only one she thought was _fine_ was Tidus.

(- -)

Selphie dangled the bag in front of Squall's face.

He glared up at her. "What is that for?"

"It's 6000 gil. Take it and go to the Black and White Ball tomorrow night."

"I'm not going."

"_Go_ to homecoming."

Squall shot Selphie a dirty look. "What's it to you? Why do you want me to go so badly?" He took a drink of his soda.

"They say high school are the best years of your life. If you don't go to homecoming, Sadies, or prom, then you're just missing out," replied Selphie. She sat down next to Squall on the windowsill. "Well, maybe not Sadies. You're obligated to go when you're asked."

"Well, I'll just go to the dances next year."

"No, Squall. Is it really so much to ask for you to put on a tux and spend a night talking with friends and dancing with girls?"

"I did that the night of our SeeD inauguration," he snapped.

Selphie scoffed. "Oh, what, you danced with me and Quistis, and that was because we made you. And after that, you disappeared for the rest of the party!"

"…"

"All I'm saying is to just go tomorrow and _have fun_. And stay there for the whole night. Don't go running off because you think making an appearance is enough." Selphie placed the bag into Squall's hand. "If you don't enjoy yourself, you'll regret it. Maybe not now, but definitely later."

(- -)

The Academy had a ballroom that only opened up for special occasions and events. Through the entrance was marble flooring with the Academy crest engraved at the center. Opposite of the entrance was a large stage. Red curtains embroidered with gold were pulled away to reveal an orchestra commanded by Professor Edward.

The grand staircase traveled up just above the entrance. It was decorated with a red velvet rug. The staircase led up to the second floor where many tables were hidden under black and white tablecloths. The tables were decorated with white and black roses.

Crystal chandeliers twinkled above. The ceiling was made out of glass so the night sky could be seen. It was a full moon tonight, and stars were beginning to sparkle.

As students began to enter the ballroom, Professor Edward struck up a song. Few couples moved onto the open floor to dance. Others went up the staircase to have dinner.

The Black and White Ball was going to last all night.

(- -)

Though his window he could hear the orchestra play. Squall got up from his bed and looked out of his window. He could see the sparkling chandeliers lighting up the ballroom. He pulled the curtains over the window. When he turned, he saw the bag Selphie had given him on his dresser. He knew his tux was just inside the closet.

He shook his head. He wasn't going to go. It was a waste of time. He had better things to do than go to a stupid dance. Squall sat down on his bed, pulling his book open again.

"_If you don't enjoy yourself, you'll regret it. Maybe not now, but definitely later."_

He eyed the bag again. He tore his eyes from it and tried to focus on the words on the page.

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**

Squall cast a hateful look at the door. When he tried to ignore it, someone banged on his door again. He reluctantly set his book down and opened the door.

"What?" he snapped.

"That's no way to answer to your dad!" Laguna yelled. He grabbed his son by the neck and forced his head under his arm. He kept a firm grip on it, but left enough room for him to breathe.

"Gnn! It never really mattered how I answered to you!" Squall grabbed his dad's hand, attempting to break the headlock.

Laguna tightened his arm around his son's head. "So I hear that you're not going to the dance tonight."

"Ungh! Did Selphie ask you to convince me to go?"

"Nah. She only mentioned it in passing," he said softly. "Though I will say that you're missing out on seeing a very pretty Rinoa tonight." He let his son go free.

Squall pulled back quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "What does Rinoa have to do with it?"

Laguna let a devious grin form on his lips. "Stupid boy. Rinoa has to do with everything." He walked off, pulling his tie a little loose. "Think about it. G'night, son."

(- -)

Squall mentally let out stream of curses. He was only here to ask his dad what he meant before. Perhaps he'd stick around for some dinner. He was a little hungry. He was making an appearance. That's all, he thought. He would disappear once he got bored.

After paying Dean Kefka at the door, Squall stepped into the ballroom. The song had just ended. He spotted Rinoa draw away from Seifer and clap politely with others. Squall had to admit; Rinoa was very pretty. It was a white gown with a halter top. She was wearing a ring on a chain around her neck. She looked over her date's shoulder and spotted him. She smiled cheerfully, whispered something to Seifer and left to approach him.

"You came!" she replied. She grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's dance!" He saw Seifer glare at him.

"…I can't dance."

"Nonsense! You'll be fine!"

The orchestra struck up another tune. Couples began waltzing along the floor, dancing for the moon. Rinoa dragged Squall onto the dance floor. He nearly crashed into her when she turned around. She placed his right hand on her hip and took his left hand in her right. With her left hand on his shoulder, she began guiding him through the waltz. He awkwardly followed her lead, looking down at his feet.

People standing to the sides eyed the pair with amusement. Laguna spotted them. With a smirk, he tapped Quistis on the shoulder and pointed at them. Quistis smiled, turning away and occupying herself with her drink so she wouldn't laugh. As Irvine twirled Selphie on the dance floor, they spotted Squall and Rinoa. Selphie looked pleased with herself over the fact that Squall was at the Black and White Ball now.

Squall stumbled over his feet. Rinoa was far from annoyed. She had never seen him so vulnerable before and all because of a dance. She thought it was rather endearing.

When they crashed into each other again, Squall dropped Rinoa's hand and tried to leave. Rinoa reached forward to grab his hand and pull him back into the dance. With another misstep from Squall, they bumped into another couple. She hissed for them to back off. She smiled at him reassuringly.

She was told before that he could dance. It was part of the SeeD training. He just didn't like to dance. He really was a good dancer. He gave up trying to hide his talent and began twirling her around. They seemed to meld together perfectly. With a flick of his wrist she whirled out, rotated, and whirled back into his arms. He led her through spins and the steps.

"I knew he could do it," mused Quistis. "That was perfect."

"Other than stumbling for the first half of it?" asked Laguna.

Quistis playfully slapped his shoulder. "Stop it."

He let out a low whistle. "I just witnessed one of my son's most awkward moments. I think I'm the happiest father ever!"

Quistis struggled to contain the snigger in her voice. "Stop."

"If only his mother could see him now…" he continued.

"Laguna," she warned.

"All right, all right, I'll stop. But I am going to tease him about this for the next few months."

"You would do that…"

(- -)

Gippal propped his collar up. He loosened his tie and undid the first couple buttons of his shirt. He ran a hand through his hand and tugged it slightly.

"How do I look?" he asked Nooj and Baralai.

They didn't bother to turn around. Nooj poked his food with a fork as he watched couples dance on the floor below. Baralai stood next him, an arm wrapped loosely around Paine's waist. Gippal saw Paine's eyes look at him for a split second before turning back to watch from above.

"Fine," replied his friends in a dull tone.

"You didn't even look."

"Oh, get over yourself," said Paine, "and go ask her."

Leblanc weaved through the tables. "Noojie-Woojie! Let's dance!" she yelled out.

He let out an inaudible groan and rolled his eyes. He shot Baralai and Paine an exasperated look before setting his plate down on a nearby table. Leblanc took his offered arm and they walked together down the stairs. Baralai looked over his shoulder to see Gippal still standing behind him.

"Why are you still here?" he asked. "Go downstairs ask Rikku to dance. Jesus, you may be one of the biggest flirts ever, but you're so goddamn clueless and chicken about the one girl you do love."

Gippal shook his head. It wasn't worth to get mad. But he did shoot Baralai a curse before heading down the stairs. It felt like good timing. The song had just ended. Couples parted to applaud. He spotted Rikku and Reno in the crowd.

"Reno," called Gippal as he approached the pair. "Do you mind?"

The Turk looked between Gippal and Rikku and shook his head. "Not at all. Go right ahead."

"Thanks."

Professor Edward struck up a slow tune. Rikku smiled as Gippal took her into his arms, swaying on the spot. A woman had emerged from behind the stage holding a microphone.

"_Fly me to the moon,_

_And let me play among the stars."_

Her smile became softer and she glanced up at the glass ceiling. The night sky wore the moon as its pendant and the stars as the diamonds. Gippal twirled her around, her dress billowing.

"I love this song," she said breathlessly.

"I know you do."

"_Let me see what spring is like_

_On Jupiter and Mars."_

"Would you say this is like 'our song'?" asked Gippal.

"I don't get it."

They turned, and he let her slip through his fingers before twirling her back into his arms. "Well, now that I think about it, every time this song comes on, we're always dancing to it together."

"Coincidence. For a song to be 'our song' it has to be attributed to an important event."

"Like?"

"_In other words, hold my hand._

_In other words, darling, kiss me."_

"Commonly between couples, something like their first kiss or a wedding or-"

"Well, I guess we can fix that with a kiss then."

Rikku swore her heart had skipped a beat. She felt the blood rush to her face. "Are you trying to ruin this moment?" she chastised.

He chuckled. He was feeling _daring_ again. "Oh, come on, you want me to kiss you," he teased.

"_Fill my heart with song,_

_And let me sing forevermore."_

Her heart skipped a beat again. True, she did want him to kiss her, but if he was just teasing her, she didn't want it. "I think you're imagining things."

He spun her around again.

"_You are all I long for,_

_All I worship and adore."_

"Maybe I'm not."

He pulled her closer. He slowly leaned in. She could feel his warm breath. She pulled back slightly. She wanted to pull back more but his arm around her waist held her in place. He hesitated for a moment before trying to lean in more.

Dean Sephiroth grabbed Rikku and Gippal by the upper arm and pulled them several inches apart. He glared at both of them. "Keep your hormones in check," he growled. "Otherwise I am going to have to cut off something. You _will_ miss it."

When he left to separate Aeris and Zack, Rikku cracked a smile. Dean Sephiroth was her savior. She and Gippal sniggered.

"_In other words, please be true._

_In other words, I love you!"_

He twirled her around one last time. There was another round of applause. Gippal gave Rikku a short bow and she curtsied in return.

"Thanks for the dance," he said.

"No problem."

Another song started up and Reno quickly pulled Rikku into a dance. He looked on jealously.

Next time, she would his date. That way, he could have her all to himself. One dance was not enough.

(- -)

Garnet leaned over the balcony, looking down at the dancers. She drummed her fingers against the railing to the beat of the song. She liked dances, but this felt like too familiar a sight.

"Hey."

Zidane handed her a glass of punch.

"Hi."

"What's wrong?"

"Just thinking. This dance feels like…a piece of my future."

He leaned against the balcony. He took a sip of his drink. "What do you mean?"

She gestured to the rest of the ballroom. "Look. It makes me think of my kingdom's dance parties and balls." Zidane looked over the balcony with Garnet. "If this were my kingdom, I would be on that stage right there. I'd have to stand on a step in front of the throne. I'd greet crowds of nobles for hours and say, "Good evening," "Thank you," "So glad to meet you," and "How do you do?" This is like a glimpse of my future."

"It's not easy to be a princess, heir to a kingdom."

"Sometimes I wish I wasn't a princess. I know it's my duty, but it feels rather dull."

"Well, if you ever get bored, just say the word and I'll kidnap you."

She turned her head to him. "You wouldn't," she said breathlessly.

"I would." Zidane grinned. He winked at her. "C'mon, you know I would."

"You would be imprisoned if you got caught!"

"Well, _Princess_, can't you bail me out?"

"Hard to say."

"Well, you will have the final word when you're the _Queen_."

Garnet shook her head. "You're ridiculous."

"I'm serious!"

"Steiner would have a field day if he caught you trying to kidnap me."

"Rusty wouldn't be able to catch me." Zidane gently tugged the glass from Garnet's hand and led her towards the staircase. "Now, I think you're very sulky right now. As your Prince Charming for the night-" Garnet giggled. "-I am entitled to make you happy, so we are going to dance."

(- -)

Squall poked Rinoa in the side. She flinched and slapped his hand away. "Aren't you supposed to be with your date?"

"I'd rather be with you."

"Why?"

"I like you more." He glanced over at her. She was smiling contentedly as she watched the couples on the dance floor.

"I bet you just got sick of Seifer."

"He's really not bad. He does tend to go on about why he hates the Turks." She smiled up at him. "But I really do like you more than him."

"_Whenever sang my songs_

_On the stage, on my own_

_Whenever said my words_

_Wishing they would be heard."_

Rinoa quickly turned to the stage where the singer was back.

"Oh…" Her fingers instinctively trailed up to the ring around her neck.

He remembered that ring. She used to wear it on her finger whenever she visited the orphanage. He overheard Selphie and Quistis ask her about it. It was a gift from her mother. It was a simple silver band, but it was engraved with, "To my darling Rinoa. From your loving mother Julia."

During one visit, all of them were playing at the beach. Rinoa lost the ring there. After she and her mother had left, Ellone rallied them to search for the ring even when it got too dark. Quistis had found it first. Before Rinoa's next visit, all of them pooled their savings together to buy her a chain so she could not lose the ring again. They only saved up 211 gil. Matron found their attempts to make Rinoa happy flattering, so she paid for the rest of the chain. When Rinoa and her mother next visited, they presented her with her ring and the chain. She cried and wore it ever since.

Squall looked up at the stage. He remembered this song as well. "Eyes on Me" was Julia Heartilly's first big hit. He heard it on the radio a few times when he was still at the orphanage. Rinoa even sang it a few times during her visits. Her voice was just as beautiful as her mother's, but the song felt different than the one he heard on the radio. Perhaps it was because Rinoa didn't understand the emotion or even the meaning behind the song.

"Come on." He slipped a hand into hers, and led her onto the dance floor. They didn't waltz around this time. They wrapped their arms around each other's waist.

Rinoa softly sang along.

(- -)

Everyone gathered around the stage. The shiny plastic crowns in its fake diamonds were laid out on a table. The Homecoming Court stood up on the steps awaiting the results. The girls wore black sashes with white lettering that read, "Homecoming Court." The boys wore white sashes with black lettering that read the same thing. Beatrix ascended the stairs and stood behind a microphone. Voices became quiet so they could hear her speak.

"Good evening! I believe this year's homecoming was a wonderful success. And now, to introduce your Homecoming King and Queen."

Edgar handed her a white envelope.

"And your Homecoming King is…" She opened it. "Shuyin!"

Everyone burst into cheers. Shuyin stepped forward. Edgar placed the crown on his head and a black cloak over his shoulders. He turned back to the student body and grinned smugly. Edgar handed Beatrix another white envelope.

"And your Homecoming Queen is…" She opened the envelope. "Lenne!"

The crowd burst into another round of applause as Lenne stepped forward to receive the crown on her head and a scepter to go with it. She stood next to her boyfriend, beaming. A few photographs were taken with them and the rest of the Court.

"And now as tradition, the King and Queen will have their first dance."

(- -)

"Big surprise, huh?" asked Tidus. He nodded to his cousin and Lenne dancing inside.

"It was predictable," said Yuna. "The captain of the blitzball team and the head cheerleader…It's something out of a manga or something."

"Zell has too many of those."

Yuna laughed. She looked up at the night sky. It really was a nice night. The air was nice and cool, but not too chilly. The moon and the stars was also a definite plus.

"Maybe we should run for Homecoming King and Queen next year."

"You'd win," said Yuna. "Next year you'll be the blitzball captain."

"You'd win, too!"

She shook her head. "No, I wouldn't. I mean, I'm barely involved with any club activities. I'm not really outgoing or popular…" She wrung her hands together. "Aeris or Selphie would win instead."

Tidus wrapped his arms around Yuna. "I think you'd win. So what if Aeris is a cheerleader? So what if Selphie is…well, just Selphie?"

She shyly brought her eyes to look up into Tidus's. "And why would I win instead?"

He grinned cheerfully. "Well, because you're simply gorgeous! Beautiful! Stunning! Dazzling! Magnificent!"

Yuna's control over her emotions slipped. The blood rushed to her face. "Y-you're making me blush!"

"It's the truth, though. You're also very smart. You're an accomplished summoner. You're incredibly honest. And you're so sweet, you give anyone diabetes-"

"Tidus…"

"I'm not just saying it."

Yuna shyly averted her eyes, the blush on her face growing. He thought she looked so adorable like that. He gently brushed the hair away from her eyes. He slowly closed the gap between them; their lips were almost touching-

"Ugh! Go away!" yelled Rydia.

Yuna and Tidus jumped away from each other. They looked in time to see Rydia storming out of the ballroom followed by Edge. Tidus frowned, annoyed that the pair unconsciously ruined the moment.

"Why are you so mad?" asked Edge. "I ask you to dance with me and you blow up!"

"Shut up! I don't need to explain anything to you!"

"Rydia! Wait!"

"I said go away!"

Their voices disappeared in the direction of the dorms. Yuna sighed disappointedly.

"Do you want to go back inside?" asked Tidus.

The mood was ruined now. There would always be another time… Yuna nodded and took her date's arm as they headed back inside.

(- -)

Aeris cocked her head to the side as she looked at Tifa's face. She was frowning and looked rather uncomfortable. "How's it going?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah. What with that look on your face?" added Zack.

Tifa glanced up at Aeris and Zack. She sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have come tonight."

"What? Why say that?"

"I don't know… All of a sudden, it's gotten really awkward with Cloud. It's like we just forgot how to be friends," replied Tifa. She shuffled her feet against the marble floor. "I mean, it's not weird to go to homecoming with your best friend. But ever since he asked me, it's just been so weird."

"Well," said Zack, "I'd talk to him for you to see what's up, but then again, we're not friends anymore."

"I'd also offer to help, but I don't want to push things too quickly with Cloud," added his girlfriend.

"Oh, thanks. You guys are so helpful," she snapped sarcastically.

"If it bothers you so much, then you should just go talk to him."

"Easier said than done."

"Or," said Zack, "you could just have Squall talk to him about it."

Aeris stood up on her tip toes to clamp a hand over his mouth. "Don't listen to him. That's an _awful_ idea."

Tifa cracked a smile. "It is. I can already see how the conversation will go. It would be a lot of "…" before one of them gives up and leaves." She nodded. "That's probably why they're such good friends in the first place."

Aeris nudged Zack. "Uh oh. Here comes Cloud. Let's go before he tries to kill you." She grabbed her boyfriend's hand and pulled him away.

"He's sorry about doing that!" said Tifa.

Cloud came up next to Tifa. "That was fast," he said, staring at Aeris and Zack walking away to talk to Gippal.

"You scared them off."

He snorted. "That's funny."

Tifa shot him a glare. "I thought you were going to make an effort to make up with Zack."

He shrugged. "When I feel like it."

Tifa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "You're such a girl sometimes."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to pick a fight with me?" He nudged her. "You wanna go? Let's go. Right now."

Tifa turned to him and held up her fists in front of her face. "I may be in a dress and heels, but I can still kick your butt right now," she joked.

"Oh yeah! Come on." He pushed her back slightly with a small grin. "Show me."

Tifa made some feint punches before aiming one for Cloud's stomach. He caught her hand and pulled her into a hug, both of them laughing.

Things seemed okay…for now.

* * *

-ahem- It's been a little over a year since I've updated. xP Sorry. I had a writer's block near the end. Plus, this was a super long chapter. I'm also really busy with college so this probably won't be updated again for a while.

Let's see if I can remember some of my notes from over a year ago. The way the guys asked their dates are corny and silly, yes, but I thought they were super cute. Tidus' and Zidane's were my favorites.

I think I made Tifa and Cloud somewhat OOC. Oh well. Anyway, I think "Real Emotion" is a cool song, but it does get irritating if you listen to it way too many times.

Why, yes, I did drop an f-bomb in this chapter. The rating is T. I'm allowed to drop an f-bomb every once in a while. If this offends anyone, then I'm sorry. Please tell me and I'll change it.

The incident where Gippal shows true anger to Rikku when they are kids is based off of _Little Women_ when Amy is so sour with Jo when she cannot to the theater with her sisters and Laurie. Amy decides to extract her revenge by burning Jo's manuscript. When Jo finds out, she furiously lashes out at her sister and refuses to speak to her. She forgives Amy after rescuing her when she falls into a frozen lake.

The blitzball match is based off of the opening scene from Final Fantasy X. That was one of the most badass scenes ever.

In this chapter, Tidus and Yuna were supposed to get together, but then I thought that it was too soon. So I prolonged their hook up. Tee hee hee...I'm evil.

I think that's all for now. Everything else is pretty explanatory. Thanks for reading! ^_^


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